Devil King
by thisissupposedtobeblank
Summary: Kusanagi Godou was a normal kid with a competitive streak a mile wide. But due to some, in his opinion, unfortunate events, he's usurped the powers of a god, and with it comes a world of troubles. He now has to deal with everything from politics to hormones, along with the occasion deity who wants a good fight. Well, at least he still has that competitive streak.
1. Prologue

**[Excerpt from Japanese Reports Concerning the Verification of the new Campione, Beginning of the 21st Century]**

Among Near East tutelary gods, few if any received as much widespread worship as Melqart, the Tyrian Herakles.

Originally the patron god of the port city of Tyre and thus earning the title of Ba'al, Melqart gained divine king status as worship of the storm god spread across the Mediterranean.

He was said to awaken at the end of the winter rains, and his worship most likely influenced the legends surrounding Herakles son of Zeus.

Even as the politics of the world continued to shift westward, worship of the first king of Tyre failed to let up. In the eyes of his followers, his ability to withstand such invasions made him more than king; it made him a deity who could withstand any storm.

It was this divine king who met Kusanagi Godou in battle on the island of Sardinia and was slain, thus allowing the boy to ascend as a young devil king.

* * *

 **[Report on Kusanagi Godou}, Compilation of the Greenwich Assembly**

As the previous report explain, Kusanagi Godou plundered the authorities of Melqart to become the [Divine King]; it was deduced that he had one prominent restriction.

As his actions following his victory seem to prove, the young godslayer cannot use his full power in a land he cannot claim as his own.

However, should the people of that land bow to him, it is believed that his power should grow exponentially.

It has also been determined that, prior to his rebirth, young Kusanagi Godou had no experience in any form of magical or martial practice.

Perhaps the young godslayer is proof that, even among those of humble backgrounds, great kings can be born; perhaps it is proof that it is the man, and not his lineage, that qualifies him for the throne.

* * *

 **It's a shame that the anime of Campione! was such a colossal failure. The world is insanely interesting - divine beings roaming the Earth, searching for acceptable foes, and the only ones capable of standing up to them are people who have gone past the limits of humanity. That those people are so… weird... is awesome. Seriously, one of my absolute favorite characters in all of the light novels I've read is the last godslayer introduced in the series, and she is absolutely brilliant. And unfortunately I'll never be able to see her come alive on the screen.**

 **Anyways, this story is focused on a Kusanagi Godou who slew Melqart and not Verethragna in that fateful battle. And, as my little prompting in the Greenwich Assembly's compilation hinted, it changes things, both with our hero and with the world at large. But I'm going to follow the pattern of the books a bit, so you'll have to wait for a bit to see why everything flipped end-over-end.**

 **Anyways, enjoy and please review, though I wonder if this will get much following. There's less than fifty Campione! fanfics on the entire site, which is about how many Naruto gets in a day. Nothing against Naruto (though I'm not really a great fan of it), but that fact is kind of sad.**


	2. Chapter 1

Rays of sunshine lightened the hallway overlooking the garden. Splotches of various greens were mixed in eye-pleasingly with some red of miniature Japanese maple warbled sound of a creek harmonized with the trilling of a few birds hidden inside the cherry tree, its branches supporting soft pink blossoms, creating the picturesque scene of a Japanese spring.

And despite the calm, heartwarming image, a sixteen-year-old boy, rather tall for a Japanese his age, huffed in annoyance. His hand wearily scratched at his messy black hair, and, to the on-looking servants quietly escorting him and his companion, an aura of hostility and bitterness emanating from him filled the area suffocatingly. The head butler, clad in an extremely formal tuxedo, continually glanced back furtively at the two, anxious to avoid any troublesome activities. If the two were who they claimed to be, should the atmosphere take a turn for the worst, that charming little garden would turn into the horrifying portrait of a post-apocalyptic disaster zone, along with the rest of the house. Of course, should that occur, he more than likely would not live to see it, which the butler thought with a morbid sense of humor.

Those depressing thoughts were shared by the rest of the servants, much to the two fearsome entities' lack of knowledge. Though, to be fair, the two did appear to be rather safe, or at least that is what they thought. After all, who would ever consider a relatively normal and polite high school student a potential threat to servants who were all specially trained in covert operations? And that couldn't explain how the woman next to him, so breathtakingly beautiful she could easily make the most stubborn man drool, seemed to be an even greater danger.

Perhaps it was the fact that that smile on her face could be likened to one whose owner would wake a sleeping dragon, just to see how it would react.

Finally, after a few minutes of awkward - and, for the servants, rather terrifying - silence, the teenager in a high school uniform spoke up, his voice tired. "Was that really a wise idea, Lucretia-san?"

"Hmm? And why wouldn't it be, Godou-kun?"

The boy in question glanced at the modelesque woman walking by his side, annoyed at being answered in the form of a question while trying not to allow the woman's looks to cloud his opinion. She wore an absolutely gorgeous green sleeveless dress that did little to hide her luscious cleavage, and a slit rose high enough to show off her long, sensual legs. And to that body of a goddess a head was attached, with a face that could easily be seen as divine, framed by long, flaxen hair. All told, Lucretia Zola could easily be numbered among the most beautiful women in the world. And despite all of this, the hormonal teen could only harrumph in displeasure upon seeing her. For he knew the truth behind the witch's cheerful facade - the woman had a horrible talent at riling him up. There was that time in Sardinia… no, best not to recall such nightmares.

Sighing in exasperation, the boy deigned to reply to the Italian. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because we just blackmailed the entire Japanese magical community into making me their King?"

"Of course it is wise. You are a King, after all."

And that was all that was needed to be said. The boy _was_ a King, and there was little he could do to deny it. Kusanagi Godou, the idiot who deemed it wise to meet _two_ gods in battle, had earned the title to become a Campione, one of the seven most powerful people on the face of the earth. And in the magical world, power meant royalty. The boy should have expected that much - it was his own foolishness at fault there.

Of course, the boy, even if he was rather mature for his age, was still a teenager. And as most people can understand, this was his rebellious stage, when he could only refuse to accept that which would otherwise seem plainly obvious. "B~ But I don't want to be King! I want to be a normal teenager, doing normal everyday teenager things! Like going to school, or going to the movies with friends!"

"Yet you went and slew a god. Even though that may seem like an everyday occurrence in video games, it is quite unique in real life," explained Lucretia-san drily. Of course, she would know - she had at least four games that had that as the main objective.

"But… But you heard what they said! They're willing to call down Susanoo to fight me off! Susanoo!"

"Yes, yes, the Japanese prankster god who plays around with storms. Also a God of Steel. A pointless threat, in my opinion."

"A what? And how is that a 'pointless threat'?"

"Honestly, Godou-kun, how can you possibly consider yourself a King and not know the different types of Heretic Gods?" The Witch of Sardinia questioned, ignoring the last part of her young charge's inquiry.

"That's the point. I don't _want_ to be King, Lucretia-san!"

The Italian beauty sighed. Sometimes she wondered why she had chosen to pop out of retirement and follow the young Japanese-boy-turned-Campione. After all, she had spent years proud to stand alone and unattached to any Demon King, acting more as an information broker free to hire than anything. To think, in less than one month all that could change because of one boy…

She glanced at the Japanese teenager, still trying to figure out how he sparked her curiosity. He had shown up, his arrival being noted in a letter, intent on returning an old grimoire she had completely forgotten about. She couldn't be blamed for that, since it had been nearly fifty years since she had left it as a goodbye present to the boy's grandfather. Or was it because she wanted it safe, where no one could find it? Meh, it didn't really matter. In the end, influenced by a video game she had been playing before (which she would immediately deny), she had sent him off to deal with the Heretic God problem that had threatened her home along with that blonde girl that had followed him around like a vulture. What was her name? Esta? Elena? Oh well, she cared little about the details.

Just like the video game, there was the typical adventure with the hero, the love interest, and the wizened mentor, only this mentor was an Italian witch that would make most men faint from the lost of blood due to a nosebleed. All that mattered to her was a little bit of entertainment and the banishment of the gods…

And what she got was a very interesting Campione.

To think, he would inherit _that_ god's powers. Oh, this would be fascinating. The other bastard children of Epimetheus were sure to be aware of their potential new rival. Heretic Gods would come, eager to test the strength of their young mortal enemy. And in the midst of the battles and contests of power and will, a true King would stand before them!

She was not going to miss this opportunity!

Plus, there was a decent chance Godou-kun inherited some of his grandfather's more… _intimate_ talents. The elder Kusanagi had always been one of her favored lovers in the past - perhaps a trip down memory lane with a young man that seemed a mirror image of a younger Ichirou would be fun. And it wasn't like the boy wasn't interested in her, given his glances at her figure and the way he gawked the first time they met.

After all, what was the point in gaining eternal youth if you couldn't play around with it?

Of course now, with a King questioning his right to rule, was not the time to delve into lewd fantasies. No, now was the time to calmly but firmly instruct Godou-kun in politics. She groaned inwardly as the two walked to the limousine waiting for them. If there was anything in this world she hated more than getting out of bed in the morning, it was politics.

The two entered the elongated car, Lucretia taking the seat across from the young man she swore loyalty to. She had to praise the History Compilation Committee - these seats were incredibly plush. She was tempted to just slip from her dress and lay back to take a nap. Granted, with her teenaged companion sharing the back with her, there was always the chance that a nap would never occur; it would be too much of an opportunity to tease the young man. But teaching biology could wait - now she needed to help the youth rise up to his position as a champion of the human race.

* * *

Back in the conference room that the godslayer and his Italian friend had just left, three individuals hidden behind curtains discussed their visitor.

"... So, a seventh has arrived."

"So it is. To think, a boy with no magical background would venture forth to combat a god…"

"Yes, yes, the boy… we could definitely use him…"

"Are you insane? You want to make one of _them_ a tool?"

"... Indeed, to a King, humans are nothing more than ants that are either stomped on or observed in an ant farm. The mere idea of an ant manipulating a human is beyond laughable."

"Bah, the boy has no clue about anything to do with politics, let alone the workings of a mage association. I'm sure we could easily influence him to help put Japan on the map in the magical world."

"We already _are_ on the map in the magical world, you imbecile. His identity in of itself lifts us higher than we've ever been before. And besides, that woman will be tutoring in politics the moment he steps off our estate. He will be beyond our influence within the week."

"But if he chooses not to side with the History Compilation Committee… do you know what shit the Wizengamot has to go through with that pompous self-proclaimed Black Prince mucking up everything?"

"... I cannot be certain whether his title is of his own creation or not, but your point is valid."

"But he has already proven to have differing opinions as to the Black Prince! Whereas that scoundrel refuses to properly lead an organization and instead make a mockery of mage associations, young Kusanagi-dono has already offered to be the figurehead, our King! Is this not what is best for us?"

At this, a fourth voice broke in, a cold, dark chuckle filled with malice. The three quieted down, waiting for the fourth member of their council to explain his laughter. The new voice acquainted. "To think, you three are all in for this brat. Why, to even give him such a dignified suffix. Fools, the lot of you."

"Oh, shut up, you old crackpot. We all know what you think about hi~"

"... Allow the man to continue."

The other two were immediately silenced, allowing the pessimistic voice of reason to back up his insults. "Must I always play the Devil's advocate? Well, no, that would not be the case this time, since I'm obviously the only one against bowing to a DEVIL KING!"

The two more enthusiastic voices attempted to refute this, only to again be silenced by a small, quiet cough from the one calm being among the four. "... Though I would prefer if you would refrain from indirectly insulting our morals, please allow us to further hear your argument."

"Tch. Fine. Face it, the brat is a piece of trash - some wannabe hero who has his eyes only for wealth and women. He just happens to learn that the power backing the History Compilation Committee is a bunch of beautiful teenage girls, so what does he do? Why, blackmail it so he can bask in his lust and greed! He's a devil king, and I will have nothing to do with him."

"... And may I ask why you feel that way?"

"You saw that woman he brought along! The woman who calls herself Lucretia Zola. I met that woman… fifty years ago! There is no possible way that woman was the same woman I know!"

"Why not? Witches have always been able to bend the rules of magic. I hear some of them defy the laws of gravity - surely age is rather simple. Even people outside of the magical world are able to do it with plastic surgery nowadays."

"Shut up, Renjou. Your opinion doesn't even matter anymore, what with your 'heir' being a talentless urchin."

"WHAT?! You dare~"

"Ahem." Once again, the room quieted down, and the calm voice continued. "Be that as it may, Seishuuin-dono, how would you propose stopping Kusanagi-dono? For, if he is indeed who he says he is, then we are nothing more than grains of sand, and he the great typhoon that sweeps away everything in its path."

"... We could let Her Eminence take care of him."

"And risk Fuji-san to blow its top off? Come now, Seishuuin, you know perfectly well that she would be infinitely worse than a young, unproven godslayer. And if the rumors are true, she will not leave this country without once again challenging _him_."

"Be that as it may, we don't even know who this upstarter is. I will not bow to someone who merely claims to be a devil king!"

"Ah, so if he proves to have inherited the powers of a god, you will?" The calm voice suddenly lashed out viciously. Almost like a shark smelling blood in the water, the voice kept on the attack. "If that is the case, Seishuuin-dono, then perhaps you can provide a proper test? After all, is not the Seishuuin the family famed for its battle strength? Surely they could identify a godslayer."

The room fell silent. Both the Kuhoutsuka and Renjou heads waited for their counterpart's response, in awe of the audacity the Sayanomiya elder had. Though they were the founders of the History Compilation Committee, it was still considered insane to take on the Seishuuin family out in the open. The battle-happy clan wasn't just known for their feared warriors, but for their political savvy as well. They knew which buttons to press and were never backed into a corner. Many feared that to do so would be to simply corner a rat - they definitely will fight back. And with their power, the Seishuuin clan were almost assured to win.

But somehow, someway, the Sayanomiya had taken the Seishuuin strengths and used that to cage the wild beast. Sure, they may have been the think tank of the only mage association in Japan, but they had needed the Seishuuin to support them. To openly attack a long-standing ally was astounding, and to actually trap this particular ally was beyond impressive.

There was only one move the head of the Seishuuin could do: accept. Their pride as warriors, plus the potential of a political backlash, would not allow them to refuse. Quietly grumbling his understanding, the clan head shuffled away, angry beyond words, thus leaving the remaining three family heads left to continue plans regarding the emergence of a natural disaster in the form of a human. Perhaps they could use an associate within the Committee. There was bound to be a few that the godslayer could relate to.

After all, he did claim that he wanted to be "normal teenager, doing normal teenager things" like "going to school" - even if it wasn't necessarily to them.

* * *

Touma Amakusa was exhausted.

This was not how life was supposed to be. He was supposed to serve the minimum number of years doing various… jobs, and then retire from that in his early twenties. From there, he was to get a comfortable desk job, which he would attempt to abuse as much as possible. There were way too many mangas that he needed to get caught up to speed with.

But nooo, he just had to be too good at his previous job. Was there a god of shinobi, like that famous manga implied? Because if there was, what did his parents ever do that would invoke such a curse as natural-born talent? That was the only explanation he had at being so good at hiding in the shadows and gathering information. He even tried to offset that by mastering both shugendou and onmyoudou, thinking that expertise in those fields would protect him in the long wrong.

But that ninjutsu that was almost second nature to him became his undoing.

No, instead of a nice comfy desk job, he was saddled with being the errand boy of Sayanomiya Kaoru, the Tokyo Branch Chief of the HCC. And putting up with the future family head and potential head of Japan's leading mage association was trouble enough. Why the girl found it hilarious to dress up as a young man and flirt with the hime-miko was beyond him, because he was pretty sure the girl was straight. If anything, she might have been bi.

But unfortunately, serving under such an … _unique_ boss was only the beginning of his troubles. No, he soon realized that his life was soon to become even more complicated when the Sayanomiya heir suddenly called him back into active duty, forcefully ending his semi-retirement.

And the first task she placed on him was shadowing a teenager who called Tokyo home.

Of course, considering the mouth-wateringly gorgeous woman who always stood by his side, Touma-san immediately figured that this wasn't just some average high school brat he was following. That made itself even more apparent when word came out on just who the woman was: Lucretia Zola, Witch of Sardinia, and perhaps the most knowledgeable person on the face of the Earth on several magical subjects. Word was that the immensely powerful witch had settled down for a retirement years ago. To come out into the open, accompanying a normal-looking youth, begged many a question to be answered. The most important was centered on the young man, for even in the Far East, word had traveled that Sardinia had been the site of an ancient ritual that had granted a mere human the powers of a god. Perhaps this young man had risen to the status of godslayer?

That question was soon answered in the form of the boy bluntly declaring his intent to become King of the Japanese mage association, confirming Zola-san as his advisor.

And now, he was again with his younger boss, overlooking any and all information they had concerning Kusanagi Godou. To say they had little was an understatement. The boy was virtually a nobody, with absolutely no background in martial or mystical arts His sole claim to fame was being an all-star catcher, and even that achievement had been negated due to a shoulder injury that ended his career.

There was practically nothing to go on.

Yet, despite the lack of information, his boss sat back in thought, a content smirk lightening up her admittedly attractive face. This had been the main reason why Touma-san had been placed under the girl, for despite her eccentric personality, she was incredibly intelligent. The Sayanomiya family was eager to insure their future's safety by putting only the best around her.

"May I ask why you have a somewhat evil smile today?"

The girl who looked like a bishonen gave a light chuckle. "I am just wondering why the Campione chose now of all moments to declare his reign."

"Ah, you find it odd that the godslayer returned to Japan so quickly?"

"Yes. And to declare his intent so forwardly, without having any evidence of his power proven… it's interesting."

"True. Seeing as the boy became a Campione in someone else's territory, he could have proven his ranking by challenging his brother. I'm sure that Campione wouldn't have minded."

"No, that battle-loving idiot would have rejoiced. But instead, Lucretia Zola-san quickly pushes Kusanagi Godou to return to Japan, without confirmation of his ascendance. Why?"

Ah, so this was the point the young genius was making. Touma-san gave a tired smile, having become used to the androgynous girl's thought process. Much of the time it was useful to say something completely outlandish, just to allow the girl to make her point. So he conceded. "Perhaps the Witch of Sardinia wanted the new Campione for herself and, eager to hide him from potential rivals, took him to the relatively quiet land of the rising sun?" He could even use rumors of a blonde knight having been witness to the battle as potential evidence to the Witch's actions.

"Ah, but if that were the case, then why stake claim to a mage association whose major magical backing lies behind the talents of beautiful teenaged girls?"

"Like yourself?"

Kaoru-san lightly laughed at that. "Quite." Recomposing herself, she continued with her conjecture. "No, but what you say does offer some interesting points. Perhaps she truly did wish to hide him from potential rivals. Not necessarily lovers, but rival associations and champions. And what better place is there than the boy's motherland, which is under the rule of a King that has taken to a life of isolation?"

"Thus allowing the boy to grow up in relative quiet, able to learn the intricacies of political intrigue and come to terms with his own powers?"

"Exactly. But that begs the question: why, after years of solitude, would the Witch of Sardinia suddenly swear loyalty to a newborn Campione? Just what god did Kusanagi Godou slay to sway a mind like hers?"

And that was one of the main cruxes of young Kusanagi Godou. The identity of the defeated deity had somehow remained a secret, without any rumors on who it was, let alone what type. And there was little they could do to find out.

Or at least, that was what Touma Amakusa believed. Unfortunately, the Sayanomiya never went a day without making plans. And this day was no different. "Perhaps we should have one of our diviners 'befriend' the godslayer? They may be able to find out some vital information of our mysterious King." And then, just to spite him - or that was what Touma-san suspected - the Tokyo Branch Chief handed him a portfolio, titled under the name of Mariya Yuri. "It just so happens that our best happens to attend the same school as Kusanagi-san. It's almost like the red string of fate connect the two together." Yes, that smile was almost definitely feral. The former ninja could almost pity the young girl who was being used so easily by her superiors.

But, selfishly, he could only pity himself. After all, this was going to be even more work, and there were still some manga he wanted to read.

* * *

Kusanagi Godou was used to girls talking to him.

Throughout middle school, it seemed like it was a different girl a day asking him to eat lunch with them. He didn't really understand why, but he enjoyed making new friends, especially since all the boys his age would hate him for some strange reason. That being said, he still kept a fair distance between him and the fairer sex. Girls were a mystery. One minute they could be nice and sweet, and the next minute they could be ordering you around like a slavedriver.

It probably didn't help that the only women Godou had been remotely close to throughout his short life were the type to easily wear the pants in any relationship. His grandmother, his mother, his sister, Asuka-san, Lucretia-san, Erica-san… all completely as non-traditional Japanese as you could get. Four of those six wished to be treated more like queens than just normal women, now that he thought about it.

So, perhaps it was the this new girl's atmosphere of complete submission that completely threw the young godslayer off. In appearance, in attitude, in action, she seemed the epitome of a Yamato Nadeshiko. And to think, such a perfect women was in the next classroom over this entire time. Godou was shocked how pathetic he was to not notice her before.

Of course, that shock was nothing compared to the seemingly random request of meeting later, privately. The teenaged boy may have not completely understood why she wanted to do so, but to ask rather forwardly in front of an entire class was bound to spring some unwanted rumors. He was already hated by every single guy in the school, and that was without this random beauty popping up from nowhere.

But nothing could have prepared him for the first words that would come out this charming cherry blossom's mouth once they were alone.

"Your L~Lordship. May I humbly request that, should Your Lordship be angry, please assuage your dread rage on my body alone."

"... Huh?"

The petite beauty stood there, bowing, obviously frightened by something, much to Godou's concern and confusion. What was with the whole "Lordship" thing? And "assuage your dread rage on my body alone"? Who even speaks like that? Actually, what did that even mean?

The Campione shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and judge this logically. The girl was calling him "Lordship," so did that imply she knew of his status? Most likely the case, hence the extreme form of formal speech. He had no clue what "assuage" even meant, but considering it involved "dread rage" on her attractive body, he could infer the definition… which he immediately despaired. Were Campione so poorly viewed in the world? Recalling Lucretia-san's lessons, the boy determined that yes, godslayers were unusually forward with their desires. After all, they were called devil kings for a reason. That… did little to inspire any ambition in him as a King.

"Er, perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Kusanagi Godou. I'm sixteen years old, and I have a rather troublesome power, and because of that I've been given a position of responsibility I truly do not understand, but view it is my duty to take. Please take care of me." There, that should appease the girl a bi~

"I beg of you, please refrain from appeasing your anger on the innocent citizens!"

"... What are you talking about?"

"Your Lordship, I may not suffice as a suitable proxy, but the citizens here are beyond reproach, ignorant of the might you wield. Thus I beg of you, please refrain from maltreating the masses with your frightful strength!"

"Wait! Do you think I'm going to go around and start terrorizing people just because I slew a god?"

"You explained yourself that you are a tyrant who enjoys punishing mere innocents with a troublesome power."

"… I think you took what I said and completely switched it around."

The girl cowering before him, whose name he still didn't know, looked up at his face, confusion clearly evident. "Then may I ask you why have you come?"

"Come?"

"Why have you arrived here in Japan?"

"Because I live here?" Godou knew he was fairly tall, and the trip to Sardinia had given him quite the tan, but shouldn't it be obvious he was Japanese? He really could use Lucretia-san to help clear the air with this misguided mage.

So, imagine his surprise when said witch suddenly rounded the corner, wearing a white lab coat over a form fitting suit. Godou couldn't help but wonder why even bother with a tie - she was showing way too much cleavage for anyone to even notice it.

"Oh no…"

"Ah, Godou-kun, such an odd place to meet."

"What are you doing here?!"

"I just started a new job. English teacher. But enough of that, what do we have here?" Lucretia eyed the third member of their little group. "Oh, flirting with a girl now, are we? I always knew you were quite the womanizer, Godou-kun."

"That's not true at all!"

"Oh? I could have sworn that one blonde girl proclaimed her everlasting love to you when you left Italy. What was her name again? Elisa? Emma?"

"That's not true at all!" Godou refuted, mentally apologizing to Erica for his bold faced lie. "Besides, we're not even flirting." He pointed at the Yamato Nadeshiko, whispering, "She knows about my unique situation."

"Oh, you work for the History Compilation Committee?" Godou almost face-faulted at how bluntly his beautiful advisor asked his schoolmate. After all, wasn't the entire purpose of the committee to keep secret?

"Er… yes. Um, allow myself to humbly introduce myself. My name is Mariya Yuri. I currently reside as a hime-miko at the Nanao Shrine. Please take care of m~ er, sensei, why are you circling me? It is most uncomfortable…"

Indeed, the foreigner of the three was walking around the female high school student, almost like a buzzard over its prey. She eyed the young beauty, muttering how her "hair was a perfect blend of black with a brown tint" and her "bust was on the smaller side, but for a Japanese girl, a rather nice size." With each and every compliment, the faces of both Yuri and Godou would blush a deeper red. Finally, the witch stopped and smirked. "Well, it looks like the HCC knows how to work fast. And you should be grateful, Godou-kun. They do a good job."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Lucretia-san?"

The Italian witch sighed at her charge's lack of common sense. "Honestly, Godou-kun, are you that dumb? The HCC is trying to get on your good side. Since you're a 'normal teenager,' they decided to send someone your age who might prove persuasive. And thanks to hormones, girls are easily the best choice, an especially apt choice considering the mage association would be nothing without their teenaged mikos."

"Wait, you're saying… that she's… a…"

"She's supposed to be a concubine, yes." Lucretia smirked as Yuri's face radiated red. Yes, it looked like she was they type to believe in propriety, so such talk would naturally embarrass her, even though the young girl probably knew it to be true. Her lack of retort following the witch's answer was telling.

Meanwhile, the teenaged devil king ranted: "Seriously, is this some sort of feudal warlord peace offer? This is the twenty-first century, for goodness' sakes!"

"Mage associations have always been behind the times. Don't you recall Elena waving a sword around, shouting about being a knight?" By Elena, Godou assumed the careless witch meant Erica. And yes, she did go around proclaiming herself a knight - something that had flabbergasted Godou when he first heard it. In fact, he seemed to specifically recall wondering why such a term flowed out of the mouth of a girl in the twenty-first century in a manner that seemed like she said it all the time.

Huh, maybe he should try introducing modern concepts in the History Compilation Committee once he takes it over.

"Well, that aside, what am I supposed to do? Would it be considered rude to refuse their, er, gift?"

"Most definitely. Not to mention poor Yuri-chan here would suffer untold pain and humiliation within the association."

"..." Godou just stared blankly ahead, his mind wrapped around the fact that there were organizations in the world that couldn't care less about its associates. Shaking his head in dismay, he slowly turned to the unfortunate girl and offered a few condolences before coming to the heart of the matter. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I'm not… ready… for any… er… relationship. I'll accept you as my… er… future mistress, but until then… please take care of me?"

The girl flushed at the insinuation and the sheer immorality of what she was being forced to do, but bowed her head in understanding. In fact, she was actually quite grateful that the boy didn't want to progress to anything intimate at this time - she wasn't sure if her still naive mind could accept such depravity.

The one adult, however, felt like something was amiss. "Unfortunately, I doubt the HCC will be too pleased if you two weren't very close. Am I right to assume that some of your objectives involved prompting Godou-kun to be lenient with his demands, Yuri-chan?" The girl hesitated before nodding. "If that's the case, then may I suggest you to act like lovers. I'm not," she spoke up, over the terrified outcries of the two high school students, "saying you should do anything intimate - I have a feeling Yuri-chan here would faint at the idea of holding hands, let alone anything in the bedroom." The two instantly blushed a fevered red at that, prompting the witch to chuckle a bit. "But merely saying you're in a relationship should allow the HCC to back off for a time. And that means to the world in general, and not just in private. I'm assuming the association has eyes and ears everywhere around here."

The two teenagers couldn't refute that, for it was just logical that way. They glanced at each other, unsure what to think, and would have stayed that way had Lucretia not suggested meeting up later to get to know each other, to which they both agreed. With an air of embarrassment and shyness the two shuffled off back to their classrooms, leaving the witch a bit frazzled. It seemed like the local mage association was actually capable, unlike European ones. She needed to look over her plans in light of the new development.


	3. Chapter 2

Dating, Kusanagi Godou determined, was annoying. One minute he was completely confused about what the girl was thinking, and the next~

"Kusangai-sama, would it please thee to enjoy some tea?"

"Oh, thank you, Mariya-san."

And the next minute, he was sitting at a table, enjoying a home-cooked meal from his lovely "girlfriend." Though, if he was forced to admit something good coming out of dating, this was one positive of being in a relationship.

Unfortunately, he couldn't think of much else. It had been a week since Mariya-san had "confessed" to him, and it had been the most troubling school week he had ever experienced. He found out quickly that Mariya-san was incredibly popular - many guys crushed on her, and all the girls looked up to her for her beauty and intelligence. So, naturally, rumors were thrown everywhere about the new guy in school somehow snagging Jounan Academy's #1 Most Desired girl. It ranged from they typical "boy meets girl" love-at-first-sight cliche to the boy finding dirt on Mariya-san's family and blackmailing them to land her, all of which he calmly denied. Well, not all of them - perhaps the scariest rumor involved him hypnotizing the girl to become his sex slave, something he vehemently declined to even imagine. It seemed everyone forgot that it was the ojou-sama that sought out the boy, and not the other way around. Or perhaps everyone saw Mariya-san in such a light that the mere idea of her going up to someone to confess could never be even remotely considered.

Of course, "dating" the cutest girl in school led to his male classmate's hatred, something that Godou had years of experience with, though not to his knowledge. Alas, the dense young man had failed to notice the glares of his fellow boys throughout his time "befriending" the middle school girls. Now it was impossible to "ignore" the jealous looks, because now those looks were accompanied by curses and, in the worst cases, actual threats against him! Granted, none of them had the chance to actually harm him, seeing as he had been awarded a tougher body with his rebirth as a Campione, but it still was rather troublesome avoiding pitfalls and tripping mechanisms that would have sent him sprawling out of a window or, as one zealot had tried, off the roof.

"Kusanagi-sama, here is some more rice."

"Ah, perfect."

And then there was the ojou-sama herself. Godou had to say, the girl was the perfect Japanese wife. Calm, quiet, proper, gentle, could cook with the best of them, and … well, he would be lying if he said he never snuck a peek at her every now and then. Not perversely, of course. He was too much of a gentleman to do that. … Okay, he might have given an approving eye on her… assets once or twice, but her face was more than enough to attract him. Her hazel eyes meshed well with her brown-tinted hair, and those lips held the same color of the sakura blossoms just outside the window. Yes, there was little doubt that Mariya Yuri was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met - which was saying something, because his grandfather had introduced him to many a granddaughter of his juvenile conquests.

Then there was his advisor, who very few would disbelieve if she went about claiming she was a goddess (which she had, a few times, much to the young Campione's embarrassment and befuddlement). And there was Erica Blandelli, the Italian knight that he met in his first dealings with gods. Her looks would make even women turn.

It was at this point when Godou realized, with a frown, that Mariya Yuri ranked up there with those two. What was with him and beautiful women lately?

It hadn't occurred to him that most boys of adolescent age would _not_ be complaining about that.

"Would it please thee to taste the grilled fish, Kusanagi-sama?"

Huh. Mariya-san really was going all out today. Sitting behind him, patiently letting him eat. Ready to take care of his every need. He slowly enjoyed the flavor of her excellent fish. He could get used to this. It was almost as if she was his w~

Godou's eyes immediately shot up at this thought. And, to the young godslayer's misfortune, his "girlfriend" misunderstood his shock. "Your Lordship, is it not to thy taste?"

… Oh no.

"Oh, onii-chan? You seem to be quite intimate with Mariya-senpai. You have her call you 'Your Lordship'?"

The Campione's head slowly turned to face the frigid commanding voice with a grimace. Its owner was a cute petite girl with glaring green eyes, who almost always wore a pair of pink bands to hold up her shoulder-length hair. This was Kusanagi Shizuka, a third year at Jounan Middle School. Since they lived together with their grandfather, they were close enough that his little sister still called Godou "onii-chan," even if she was only a year behind him.

… And she was absolutely terrifying.

While many would say she was a rather cute middle schooler, Godou knew the truth: Kusanagi Shizuka had the personality of an ice queen, and would regularly pass cold judgment on her dumb brother. Sure, it was probably for a good reason. Their grandfather, who had practically raised Godou, had been known to be a playboy in his younger days; indeed, many a Kusanagi young man throughout history were rather famous for their womanizing ways. And, though Godou failed to realize it, the number of girls that had fallen for him during his time in middle school proved that the youngest Kusanagi had inherited that particular gene. Shizuka was determined to stamp this out.

Unfortunately, her views were slightly hypocritical. After all, their mother spent most of her time playing with the hearts of various rich men to attain gifts. And seeing as the youngest Kusanagi was practically her mother in miniature…

That notwithstanding, when word got to her that her dumb big brother had somehow wooed Jounan Academy's #1 beauty (and Shizuka's idol, but that was beside the point), the younger sister had Godou kneel before her in seiza and given him a thirty-minute lecture. And despite his insistence that he had never met Mariya Yuri before _she_ confessed to _him_ , the girl kept berating him for playing with a young maiden's heart. Even now, she had forced herself into this dinner in order to make sure Godou didn't continue to be "boorish and insensitive."

Mariya-san, having let slip her title for her King despite his begging to avoid doing so, had just given a spark to what could become a raging inferno. And now it was up to her "boyfriend" to try and suffocate it before it got out of control.

"... Well, Mariya-san here is a little old fashioned…" Even Godou knew that his answer was a flimsy excuse.

"I understand that she is that. After all, she is a proper ojou-sama. But that doesn't explain why the rest of the girls in school has been calling you 'Lord' lately!"

"Wha~ What is this?"

Yes, even though Godou didn't know about it, his natural lady-killer instincts had given him a generally positive response from Jounan's fairer sex, with his sister being the lone exception. Having heard Mariya-san call him "Your Lordship," the female population had taken to calling Godou that, and rumors of "the Lord" had even wormed their way into the halls of Jounan's middle school.

"Don't deny it, onii-chan! To think, my brother would fall to such depravity to make innocent girls call him 'Lord.' Why, you're even sitting in the spot meant for the head of the house!"

The older brother blinked at that. Glancing from the right, where Lucretia Zola sat with a tired yet amused smile, to the left, where Shizuka sat along with Mariya-san's adorable little sister, Hikari, it took a minute for the truth of his sister's words to hit him. "Ehhh! Mariya-san, wha~ for what possible reason did you put me here of all places?!"

"It~ it is only proper for you to sit there, Kusanagi-sama!"

"And now that I think about it, why is Mariya-senpai sitting behind you, almost like a wife?!"

"Wife?!" Hearing out loud what he had already privately realized nearly gave the lone male in the room a heart attack. He quickly glanced at the girl in question, only to notice that she was blushing a deep red.

This just made Shizuka's glare even more frosty. "And finally, why is Zola-sensei here? To be friendly with the beautiful new teacher… It's just like Grandpa! It's too suspicious!"

Indeed, according to their now deceased grandmother, Kusanagi Ichirou had somehow managed to enjoy the company of a widow and a geisha while he was still in high school, something even Lucretia, who had known the Kusanagi grandfather back in the days of his youth, couldn't forget. It would be almost expected for Godou to somehow find his way into the forbidden relationship between a student and teacher. This situation was just like those Korean soap operas that had become popular lately, and it seemed like the eldest of the five was finding it extremely entertaining, what with her eyes filled with mirth. Funnily enough, judging by the sparkling eyes of the youngest one at the table, Hikari also was a fan of the drama.

"Well, you see~"

"Shizuka-san, please allow me to humbly explain." Godou jumped slightly by the stern atmosphere Mariya-san had suddenly adapted. It was practically a 180 in terms of her normally calm, soothing personality. But there was a chance that the miko could explain exactly what was going on here, without telling his little sister the whole magical side! Yes, at times like these, a reliable miko could be useful. "Kusanagi-sama here, being the forceful and reckless individual he is, has recently done something beyond common sense and has chosen to take responsibility over his actions."

Godou was nodding as the reliable Mariya-san had begun her explanation, but this had been rather… vague. He could see what she was trying to imply while keeping the details away from anyone without a magical background, but her words could almost be taken in a completely different manner. If he didn't know better, than what the miko may have been to keep the prying ears of a child satisfied. And in the eyes of Shizuka, who was sitting next to a younger girl, then those words could have covered up something no little girl should find out at such a young age...

The boy quickly opened his eyes in panic, aware that, while Mariya-san had tried to help, she had just made the situation much, much worse. First he noticed Lucretia, who was trying and failing not to laugh. Then there was the completely blank look of the confused little girl that was Hikari. And finally, to his horror, the most glacial gaze he had ever seen his sister use. … He was dead.

"Shizuka, that's not what she meant!"

"Oh, and what did she mean by that rather hard-to-understand response, onii-chan?"

"Er, what she meant was~" Godou was fishing for a good excuse, while inwardly praying for a miracle. Any miracle that could get him out of this situation.

He soon learned to be careful what he asked for…

"Hey, Yuri! Mind if Ena raids the fridge?"

A new girl made her presence known. All ten eyes swiveled on the spot to find a beautiful Japanese girl waving cheerfully at the miko sitting behind Godou. Her hair was long and black, and she walked with a sense nobility. Still, from her easy-going smile, she seemed like the type everybody would get along with.

Of course, everyone also happened to notice that the new girl's beige school-like uniform adorned the most voluptuous body any of them had ever seen from someone obviously Japanese. Two sets of eyes immediately glanced back at the lone male in the room and, with either amusement or disgust, saw the hormonal teenager gulp nervously.

"Hohoho. Has another one entranced you, Godou-kun?"

"Onii-chan! You're in a relationship with Mariya-senpai! You shouldn't leer at other women like that!"

The newest addition, upon hearing this, frowned upon hearing that. She studied Godou a bit, looked at the hime-miko blushing deeply from Shizuka's rather blunt chastisement, and spoke up, "Huh? Yuri is in a relationship with this guy? But Ena thought she was the mistress of His Majesty?"

"Mis~!?"

"His Majesty?!"

"WHYYYY?!"

Lucretia could only laugh out loud at the sheer absurdity of the situation. Yes, this was much better than any Korean soap opera.

* * *

Godou thought that, by escaping the pressure cooker that had been Nanao Shrine, the night would be easier. He had somehow made it back home, hoping to relax and rehab from the stress that had built up during Mariya-san's dinner and somehow managing to placate his sister for the time being. Unfortunately, she was obviously not as placated as he had hoped to be, and still wanted to know just how he had gotten to know the school's top beauty. After all, school hadn't been that long, and Godou and Mariya-san weren't even in the same class. It wouldn't have been hard to believe if they had never met each other before now - a point that Godou seriously wished to say was true, but that would only bring up more questions about topics he didn't want his cute, little, but verbally abusive sister to know. He wasn't sure if Shizuka was allowed to hear him talk about the magical world as if it was a real thing, let alone could actually accept it. Plus, seeing as what the strange girl who showed up late had said, it seemed like Mariya Yuri was indeed his mistress, a point his little sister would for sure yell at him about. He wasn't sure if his knees could last more than half an hour in seiza.

So, when a call from his advisor, Lucretia Zola, cut in on his sister's interrogation, asking him to stop on by, he was more than happily to do so.

He was regretting his decision since.

Lucretia had still not recovered from that fateful time in Sardinia, and so needed quite a bit of rest, which was completely understandable. It was just that she never actually wore clothes when she was in her house. He should have remembered that after the first time he met her. Indeed, right now she was in nothing more than a see-through nightgown, and Godou was having trouble keeping his eyes off her magnificent body. It didn't help that she hadn't bothered even getting up from lounging (rather seductively, though he hated to admit it) on her bed when he finally got there.

The really horrible thing was that, after specifically begging her to put some actual clothes on, the woman had casually brushed him off as if imagining that nothing would actually happen. It hurt his pride as a man to be waved off like that. And then the fact that he actually even thought anything along those lines greatly worried him.

"Godou-kun, I know it might be hard for a young man like you, but could you potentially tear your eyes off me and look at those files on my nightstand?" The older woman asked rather nonchalantly. The boy, hearing this, immediately started searching for the files she brought up, more to preserve his own sanity than to do as she asked. He quickly picked up the pile on the table next to her bed and started sifting through them.

"This is?" Godou was surprised by what he was reading. Lucretia had somehow gotten hold of information on Mariya Yuri, as well as the two other miko they had met today, Seishuuin Ena and Mariya Hikari, Yuri's little sister.

"I've been trying to hack into the History Compilation Committee's records since we visited their leaders a little over a week ago. My shikigami was finally able to break through their wards while we were enjoying tonight's little drama."

"Shikigami?" The term seemed familiar, like some old Japanese type of magic from fairy tales.

"Just a little magic I learned during my time here back when I knew your grandfather. Nothing too difficult." The woman unhelpfully explained with a bored expression, though Godou suspected that it was less "learned" and more "stolen." "Anyways, as you can tell, the information I managed to pull out pertains to the three miko. It seems you have a gift for meeting talented beauties, Godou-kun."

Godou kept silent at that, for even he, despite a tendency to being on the dense side, had noticed this odd pattern. Instead, he looked over the files (firmly ignoring the pictures of the two older girls) and found a correlation between the three. "What exactly is a hime-miko? I thought it was just a special title for shrine maidens, but from what you were saying, it seems like there's something more, since all three have that title." And that Ena girl really didn't seem the type to be a miko.

Lucretia nodded, pleased that her King had come to that conclusion. "Very good, Godou-kun. You have heard of my title of the Witch of Sardinia, correct?" The Campione nodded. "Though I already was capable of magic without learning mantras, I am considered a witch for dabbling around in spellwork, or magic made by man. Hime-miko, on the other hand, have inherited powers from a Divine Ancestor and thus focus on this innate ability, unlike witches."

"Divine Ancestor?"

"A former mother earth goddess who lost her divinity, becoming more human. They're still much stronger than witches and hime-miko, but they are no where near the level of a goddess."

Godou's eyes widened at that. After a few minutes, he came up with a conclusion. "So hime-miko have a godlike ability?"

"Yes, to a point. You could say that they are at a low level with their abilities. Some may have flashes of visions, like your girlfriend. Others, like that carefree girl, can be possessed with the power of a god for a short amount of time. By leveling up, they can learn new abilities, too. It is a highly desirable trait that is extremely rare. For the local mage association to so freely offer such a valuable commodity is quite remarkable."

"... So, sending Mariya-san to me was practically accepting me as King?"

"Yes… and no. I believe it is a gift that can easily be taken back, if it's proven you are not who you claim to be. Plus, if they had already accepted you, I'm fairly certain that the other two would have been given to you as well."

"What?!"

"Hoho, shouldn't a young man like yourself be happy inside? It's not often someone of your age finds themselves in such a stimulating situation."

"Th~ That's beside the point. Besides, Mariya-san's little sister is only twelve years old!"

"So? She can be your own personal Murasaki."

"I am not Hikaru Genji!"

The witch gave a small, almost pitying smile. "I understand that, but you must be open to the idea that those two will most likely be 'gifts' in the future. Especially that carefree girl. It seems like she is the Heiress to one of the Four Families, and, from what my shikigami picked up, her family is the one that is holding everything up. She'll most likely be given as a formal apology."

"..." Godou had nothing to say to this. He just stood there, dumbfounded. These mage associations seriously needed to realize that this was the twenty-first century. Something then clicked in his mind. "Wait, if one family does that, then…"

"Then the other three families will most likely follow suit, yes. Funnily enough, your Murasaki would most likely fall in line with this, seeing as one family has been actively recruiting her."

Godou seriously wanted to scream, but his body was in shock. This was too much he could take.

"Now, enough of this real-life erogame. Godou, there is another matter which I wish to speak of: your sister."

"Shizuka?! No! No, I draw my line at that!"

"Hohoho. Your sister might not be pleased to hear that."

"W~ What are you saying, Lucretia?!"

"Nevermind. No, I wish to point out that your sister is unaware of your recent evolution."

"Th~ Shouldn't that be common sense? She has no knowledge of magic."

The older woman just chuckled wearily at that. "I don't know if any one told you, Godou, but a Campione is basically someone who lacks common sense. Besides," she continued, cutting off a rebuke from the young man, "how is keeping secrets from your family common sense?"

"But~ Well, it's dangerous~"

"Godou, you are a King. Because of this, enemies of unimaginable strength will come to battle you, and they'll use every advantage they have against you. That can and probably will include those who you care for. You can leave her in the dark if you wish, for it is you to decide, Your Majesty. But just know that many of the world's evil lie there, waiting." With a yawn, the woman stretched in bed. She still hadn't recovered completely, and the shikigami had drained her meager magical reserves. "Now, I'm sure a young man such as yourself is awfully stimulated by this body of mine, but I'm afraid I do not have the energy to pleasure you tonight, Godou-kun."

Godou gasped in shock at what the witch was saying and quickly ran out the door, stuttering out something along the lines of how a grown woman shouldn't play with a maiden heart. Lucretia's tired laugh and drawn out farewell were the last things he heard from her before he closed the door, only to slump down. The Witch of Sardinia had given him much to think about, and thoughts of his sister clouded his mind as he made his way home.

* * *

At the same time, having sent the littlest one off to bed, two hime-miko were using the opportunity to catch up as childhood friends. It had been some time since they had last seen each other, and much had changed: Seishuuin Ena, heiress of one of the Four Families and revered as the "Hime-miko of the Sword," had risen to the rank of Premier among the miko of Kanto, and she was mostly off training in the mountains. On the other hand, Mariya Yuri... was busy taking care of a shrine, like any normal hime-miko.

Oh, and she was a sacrifice to please a godslayer, most likely with her body in the future. She mustn't forget that.

"Ena-san, why are you here in Tokyo? And why have you come here tonight?"

"Hm? Didn't you hear, Yuri? All of the hime-miko in the Kanto region are being gathered to meet the 'King.' I hear many are wishing to gain favor with him." The wild beauty shrugged before her face broke out it a large grin. "Ena came here to say hi and confirm if the rumors about Yuri being His Majesty's mistress were true."

The gentle girl blushed deeply at how inappropriate the term "mistress" sounded. "Th~ They're not! I~ I am merely acting as a bridge between the Committee and Kusanagi-sama." Even to herself, Mariya-san's excuses were flimsy. After all, it was only a matter of time before she was left to do whatever lewd and immoral things the devil king desired.

"Oh? From what Ena saw, Yuri sure takes her responsibility seriously, doting on His Majesty like a housewife," the uninvited guest teased playfully.

"Th~" But try as she might, the shy hime-miko couldn't find a way to refute that. Perhaps, subconsciously, she was trying to curb the Campione's appetite?

After a few uncomfortable seconds (which Ena seemed not to notice), the Premier Hime-miko changed the subject a bit. "But that was His Majesty? He doesn't seem to be much of a King."

"Yes. That is Kusanagi Godou, the boy who is trying to be King. And he says it's his unwanted responsibility to reign over us," though Mariya-san had some of her doubts. He might not recognize them, but she was certain that lording over a people was a desire he hid from himself. All the past devil kings shared that desire, and history never lied.

"Well, if anybody knew anything about Kings, then Yuri would," Ena muttered before flinching at her slip of the tongue. She quickly shot her eyes almost apologetically toward her best friend. Mariya-san gave a small smile to let her know that everything was alright.

"Ena-san, don't worry too much. Though he still is rather controlling and stubborn, Kusanagi-sama does have some good points. For one, despite my unworthiness, he constantly seeks to treat me as his equal. He is quite friendly and generous. He even deigned to bestow me with this." The ojou-sama pulled out, with great reverence, a cell phone, much to Ena's shock. Mariya-san's ineptitude with modern technology was famous among the hime-miko. Despite the more voluptuous girl's upbringing in the wild, even she had gotten a cell phone before her friend.

"What? Yuri, it seems you have gained His Majesty's approval! Well done!"

"I~ I have? But I don~"

"Have you exchanged any emails with His Majesty yet?"

"Emails?" The naive ojou-sama cutely tilted her head, completely confused.

"Eh?! Yuri doesn't even know what emails are? How are you ever going to seduce His Majesty if you don't even know how to contact him?" Mariya-san could only stare at shock at her fellow hime-miko who just said something so immoral to her. "Here, Yuri! Let Ena teach you how to seduce men!"

And despite the complete lack of experience by the girl who spent her time swinging a sword in the wild, she delved right in to how she imagined flirting could go, and Yuri, despite her blush and her desire to avoid anything inappropriate for an ojou-sama, listened with rapt attention. This could prove to be a powerful tool in her desire to help protect the innocent citizens of Japan.

After an hour of teaching various forms of seduction to her apprentice, ranging from emails to actual play (she had seriously enjoyed her friend's cute reactions), Ena laid back, tired. Even though she rarely ever tended to think deeply on anything, her mind had begun wondering about the new King and what his arrival would mean for Yuri and her. Though she seemed like a girl who acted freely and cared little, she wasn't an idiot. She was sure that, someday soon, she would be offered as a sacrifice to His Majesty. Her family, always seeking to get a leg up on competition, would see the advantages of having the heiress be one of the King's mistresses, and their children would be even stronger than herself.

Besides, he even shared his name with one of the many names of her sword. It was almost as if the red strings of fate were wrapping themselves around the two, much to Ena's annoyance. She might have been trained personally by Grampsy, but Ena didn't really want to be the gods' plaything.

The Hime-miko of the Sword sighed. She might as well get to know more about the man she would probably spend the rest of her life with.

"Yuri, tell Ena more about His Majesty."

"Eh? Why does Ena-san wish to know more about Kusanagi-sama?"

The wild girl decided to tease her friend a bit more. "So that Ena can steal him away from you!"

Unfortunately, Mariya-san didn't take the bait. "You may say that, but I fear I am stuck with Kusanagi-sama until I die or he is displeased with me."

"... Is His Majesty really such a bad person?"

Mariya-san gave a gentle smile. "No, he's not. Kusanagi-sama is actually rather kind. He understood that I was being forced into this, but to make sure I didn't suffer at the hands of the Committee, he accepted me. He is still stubborn and forceful, but he treats me with respect."

Ena may not have shown it, but she was relieved to hear this. "He sounds like he will be a good King."

Her much shyer fellow hime-miko nodded, but gave a slight frown. "I just fear that he may turn out like... him."

"Well, then Yuri needs to make sure he keeps on the straight and narrow! Don't worry, Ena will be there to help!"

That made Mariya-san blink, but soon her face burst out in a bright smile. "Thank you, Ena-san. I missed you."

The Premier Hime-miko laughed. "If that's the case, then Ena will freeload here for a little longer!"

"W~ What! Ena-san, don't you have to go home? ... Ena-san!"

* * *

"So, have you gotten anything on that so-called King yet? His personality?"

"Nothing much, sir. According to Mariya Yuri, the devil king acts much like his fellow Campione: rash, reckless, controlling, acting with a lack of common sense. Though she does denote that he would rather stay clear of anything revolving around responsibility, despite his demand for the History Compilation Committee's loyalty. It seems he sees it as more of a duty than a privilege."

"That is definitely problematic. A mind of a savior, and not that of a conqueror. History has shown that those are the hardest to clean up after. What of his powers?"

"Unfortunately, despite having tried to see a vision of something on him, the only thing the hime-miko has been able to see is rain."

"Rain? We're bowing to someone who may control the rain?"

"According to the hime-miko, it might have something to do with a storm god. And while that may seem like a good guess, you could easily say that there are too many storm gods to narrow down the list. After all, Greek mythology could basically claim two of their most powerful gods were related to the weather. The god is probably from somewhere near the Mediterranean, seeing as that was where Kusanagi-sama slew his foe… but Mariya-san couldn't say that for sure." After all, there was _that_ god housed in Saitenguu, despite the lack of worship in Japan.

"A storm god? Ha! The Greeks may have had their Zeus and the Norse may have had their Thor, but The Old One is the only one to shut out the sun."

"Sir, you don't mean to~"

"I mean to destroy this usurper, and if that entails summoning a Heretic God, then so be it. The History Compilation Committee is gathering all of the miko to meet their 'King.' I'm sure that will provide enough power to support a summoning of The Old One."

"But, sir, you can't~"

"I can't? I can't? I'm trying to save Japan! The duty of the miko is to protect the country from magical threats, and yes, their loss will weaken us. But a brat calling himself a King will only bring more of those monsters here, and then you can't guarantee keeping our side secret from the general populace! No, get rid of the brat now, and then rebuild. Japan has done it before, and we'll do it again."

"... Why not just let the Divine Monarch deal with him?"

"Because Her Excellence would fly here as fast as possible, and then we'd have a three-way battle ravaging our country. And who knows who else will try to get in on the action. No, it's best if we take care of him now, before the rest of the world hears about this coronation. Unfortunately, it is best to keep this quiet…"

A gasping breath later, and a lone man calmly walked away, his companion lying face-down on the cold concrete.

* * *

"Why, if it is not a little lady?" A handsome youth called out arrogantly to a petite girl with silver hair, as pale as the moon lying still overhead.

The little girl, who looked no older than fourteen, eyed the handsome young man warily. "And for what purpose has thou come to this one, Victory? I have no interest in battle at this moment."

"Haha! Thou must be quite the omniscient little lady to have already known me. But alas, I come not for battle."

"... The Persian Warlord, seeking not a competition? Surely thou must be joking."

The youth grinned. "I already have a foe I wish to face, but to redeem myself, I must be patient. I will not face another soul alone until I meet that foe again on the battlefield."

The words flowing from the mouth of the youth caused the silver-haired girl to pause and, with a narrowing of her pitch-black eyes, she fished for an answer to the riddle before her. "Thou… hast been defeated? The God of Victory hast met a worthy opponent after all?"

Verethragna chose not to answer in words, but his gaze confirmed the conclusion. It seemed, in the eyes of the little girl, that the god's ambition had finally been fulfilled - to taste defeat. But with the completion of one goal, another would ultimately rise.

"So what now, Victory? Thou art patient in thy wait for this foe, but that meet may not be but a while."

"Ah, where shall I go?" The handsome god looked into the night sky, eyeing the distant stars. "In my past, I was but a servant to a king, sent on his authority to ensure triumph. My successes led to my ascension, and I became the right hand of my king. But now," and here he paused, his mind searching for an answer, and the young girl noticed the confusion in the youth's eyes. She continued to gaze on the youth, puzzled at his words, a feeling completely foreign to her. But then a manic gleam appeared in his eyes, and he voiced out his outlandish thoughts: "I no longer bow to my king, and thus no longer adhere to my myth. But I am still an instrument that attains victory, a loss notwithstanding! And an instrument is meant to be used!" And with that the god eyed the young girl enthusiastically.

This surprised the girl. "Thou desirest to be of use to this one? I cannot fathom why one such as thee would seek this alliance."

"I neither, but I sense that thou and I have a common rival, and shouldst I follow thee and do thy bidding, then perhaps we shall both be pleased with the results."

The eyebrows over the girl's pitch-dark eyes lifted slightly, amused. "This one seeketh only the [Snake] now, though doing so alone would be problematic. I hear there is a godslayer in this land, one whose sword can cut through everything. To fight him at my current strength would be unwise… yet perhaps thou canst hold him off while I attain my full power." The girl once more eyed the handsome youth with a calculating glint. "This rival that thou and this one have in common… is he interesting?"

Verethragna's grin shone with giddyness and utmost joy. "Yes, he is interesting, little lady. If he were not, then he would not have defeated two gods in battle simultaneously."

To that answer, the girl with the moon-kissed hair smirked. "If that be the case, then this one, even Athena, doth eagerly await to meet him."

* * *

 **Hello again! Here's another chapter. Honestly, I'm surprised at the response I got from this. I mean, it's not like Campione is exactly popular on this sight.**

 **So, there might be a few parts of this chapter that may spark a few questions. One) for some odd reason, Korean soap operas were really popular four years ago in Japan. I'm assuming they still are, though I haven't got a clue why. Two) Murasaki and Hikaru Genji are two main characters in Genji Monogatari, arguably Japan's most famous piece of literature in its history. Genji is basically a womanizing noble and, in an effort to make the perfect woman, takes a child and raises her. That's Murasaki. Sure, the story also focuses on the political nature of Feudal Japan, but that part sticks out like a sore thumb. I wouldn't be surprised if Lucretia had decided to read that back during the time she was romanced by one Kusanagi Ichirou.**

 **Anyways, review. It always warms my heart when you, the viewers, spare a few seconds to actually state what you liked (and don't like, but seeing as there wasn't any of that this time, ... meh). So please, tell me what you think.**


	4. Chapter 3

"Lucretia, why did you want us to come over here?" She had said it was urgent, after all.

Of course, he was also eager to hurry up this discussion and get out of there - since his sister had mentioned it, Godou had been trying to eavesdrop on discussions by some girls, and to his horror, Shizuka's words rang true. There did indeed seem to be a "Lord" capturing the hearts of all of the high school girls, which only led to masculine eyes full of envy and hate pointed directly toward the "Lord" in question. Godou could only flinch when whispers of his involvement with the English teacher every guy in the school was lusting after started to make their rounds as well.

Lucretia Zola, better known in the academy as Letizia Zola as not to raise a certain grandfather's suspicions, had quickly become the entire rage of the school. Almost every single girl idolized the woman that was more beautiful than swimsuit models, and not a single guy was getting anything out of English, too focused on the erotic vision that gave their eyes a feast. And considering her abundant cleavage or her extremely short skirts that did little to hide her sex appeal, despite the odd white lab coat the teacher was wearing (why any English teacher would need to wear one was a question in and of itself), she was probably enjoying the attention. Godou could only shake his head in dismay while trying to deny any relationship with the woman. Unfortunately, seeing as she was more to him than just the sexy English teacher, he was forced to meet with her alone every now and then - a fact that hadn't escaped the student body's notice.

So, call it pathetic, but Godou wished to prove the recent theory that Letizia Zola was the next conquest target for Jounan's Lord wrong. And the best way to do so was to bring his "girlfriend" with him.

However, he had forgotten his teacher's talent for riling him up again.

"Godou-kun, from what I heard, young men often fantasize about attractive teachers giving special 'private lessons.' I'm sure you don't mind Mariya-san and you getting a bit more 'learning' in during lunch!"

"Don't say something like that! You'll cause misunderstandings!" Godou tried to avoid what was surely going to be a troublesome situation, but his insistence was too late. Mariya Yuri was already blushing furiously and trying to scold the Campione through her stuttering.

"K~ Kusanagi-s~sama, w~we sh~shouldn't b~be s~so ind~decent!"

"See what I mean! Mariya-san, don't listen to the witch!"

"Mariya-san, Godou-kun will deny it, but he definitely has desires about taking both of us together in a classroom."

"T~Taking?!"

To save face, Godou did the exact thing Lucretia premeditated - or, in other words, the exact wrong thing to do: "I definitely do not want that, Mariya-san!" He denied it.

"S~so what Zola-sensei said was true! Y-you do desire it!"

Groaning at the hime-miko's naivete and gullibility, the young man sat in a seat, staring at his mentor in contempt. Was this the whole reason why she wanted him over here?

Lucretia chuckled at the small amount of drama she set up, but despite how entertaining it was to push Godou's rather simple buttons, she figured it was best to proceed, and properly as well. "Lord Kusanagi, I bring news from Italy."

The Campione frowned at the formal title the witch now referred to him as. He knew it started out as a joke after Shizuka's outburst, but she already teased him with the pet name "young man." This had an air of seriousness behind it. With a curt nod, he allowed her to continue, Mariya-san waiting quietly to his side.

Without further delay, the Witch of Sardinia brought up a news article on the projector. Despite her age and her magical upbringing, Lucretia was uncharacteristically tech-savvy. "An earthquake almost sent Rome to the bottom of the Mediterranean."

… That was fine and good, but why~ Just as Godou was going to question the older woman, the young girl next to him spoke up in a calm tone. "A warlord marched forth, as strong as a beast, and with great winds did throw forth the champion and gain victory."

Lucretia lifted an eyebrow at the young lady. "Hmm? Is this the excellent spirit vision that I have read about? I must say, this girl does have quite the talent - greater than mine at her age."

"Warlord? Winds? Victory? Where have I hear~" The eyes of the young godslayer shot up, afraid. "Lucretia, why was Mariya-san talking about Verethragna?!"

"Yes! That was the name of the god!"

"Oh? Well, you two certainly do well together. And yes, Mariya-san here had a spirit vision about your old foe, Godou-kun."

The young girl blanched at that. "Foe? What does she mean by that, Kusanagi-sama?"

Not very eager to divulge secrets to a girl the two knew reported everything to her superiors, Godou hesitated for a second before doing a trick taught to him by his grandfather: stalling. "Er… long story. Maybe some other time." With a nervous wave of his hand, the King went back to the main topic at hand. "Anyways, from what I got from Mariya-san's vision, Verethragna defeated another Campione?"

"Indeed," affirmed the witch with a small nod. "And the godslayer he bested… was the King of Swords."

A slight gasp escaped the lips of the hime-miko. She had a bit of history with Salvatore Doni, a young Campione with an affinity with swords. Back in the time of her greatest nightmare, he had come to take on both a heretic god and the Balkan's King, and still managed to usurp the deity's power while holding off the oldest Campione. It would have been heroic, had it not been for the simple fact that Europe's Strongest Swordsman had done it to relieve boredom. Still, his strength was confirmed, and this recent defeat proved the might of this Verethragna that the other two in the room seemed to know.

Eyeing Mariya-san with a touch of understanding, Lucretia continued. "Sir Salvatore's current status is unconfirmed, but that matters little. From what I've heard, the King of Swords is a hard one to kill."

"... There's something else, isn't there, Lucretia?" Godou couldn't explain it, but he felt that something was amiss. The Italian witch confirmed it with a nod.

"Yes, Lord. It seems as if, while Sir Salvatore and Verethragna battled, another heretic god attacked somewhere else in order to obtain something of great importance: a grimoire. Either it was a lucky circumstance that Italy's King was occupied at the moment, or…"

"... or they were working together," finished Godou.

This was becoming too much for Mariya-san. These new details were just insane. First Sir Salvatore with his invincible sword was easily dispatched of. Now came the possibility that gods were allying with themselves? If there was one common aspect about heretical deities, it was that they usually ran alone. Very rarely did gods, especially ones from different mythologies, band together for a common purpose… and if they did, terrible things would occur - for example, the defeat of a Campione along with the partial destruction of a city.

That one of those beings was connected with someone in the room she was currently occupying was terrifying.

Yet, despite the horrible situation, the King seemed calm and calculating. "Lucretia, what does this mean?"

"Well, truth be told, very little. I suppose Marquis Voban may have a small amount of interest, but even he would think twice before a potential battle against two heretic gods. The Black Prince is currently occupied with something, as is John Pluto Smith. And both Her Excellence and the Holy Maiden have not been seen in public in years." With each title, the youngest Campione nodded, grateful that Lucretia had told him about his fellow godslayers. "To be frank, Lord, the only King that could potentially have a legitimate reason to take action is yourself."

A certain blonde knight flashed in Godou's mind, and he nodded in understanding. "And what would you suggest?"

"Wait. You do not have the power to fight two gods, and you have your own priorities to deal with. You need to strengthen your base and, after that, your borders. Yes, this might be a chance to set a base with some of the world's most influential associations in the heartland of mythology. But a King should look for allies that are close and not surrounded by potential enemies. Claiming Italy now would be a mistake."

Godou frowned a bit, knowing that what the flaxen-haired teacher was saying was true, even though he desperately wanted to help his friend. He had come to the same conclusion. His power was tied directly with the fealty of his people, and right now, the only person he knew was his was the very Witch that teased him so openly. Even Mariya-san had more of an allegiance to the History Compilation Committee than to the King she was given to. Erica Blandelli, despite being a knight sworn to serve another King, probably was more loyal to him than the meek hime-miko. He needed Japan's trust, so that he could get the strength to properly protect them against any potential disasters.

It was odd, but at times like these, the boy started acting like a King.

"Fine, we stay here. Mariya-san."

"Hai, your Lordship."

The young King ignored her formality, seeing as she was acting as a liaison between him and his future mage association at the moment. "How are the Four Families reacting? If you could, please tell me anything that could be helpful."

Mariya Yuri bowed low before answering. "Your Lordship, the Committee is calling in every single hime-miko within the Kanto region to announce your reign."

"Ah, would that explain why that girl our young man here took an interest in showed up?"

"Lucretia, not the time," muttered Godou, and the witch instantly hushed herself in deference to her King. The sequence made the hime-miko blink before she continued.

"Hai. Seishuuin Ena-san is one of the first to arrive. Your Lordship should be receiving an invite for a coronation within a few days, if not tonight."

The news wasn't surprising to the Campione. Lucretia's threat to the four heads was straightforward, and the potential destruction of Tokyo forced the Four Families' hand. "Tell me about Seishuuin Ena. There was something about her… something powerful."

"Ena-san is the Premier Hime-Miko, your Lordship. She has the most talent of all magic users within Japan, and she specializes in swords. But her greatest power is Divine Possession: the ability to be granted a god's power for a short amount of time." Mariya-san then hesitated for a second, wondering if she should divulge anything more, but relented. The repercussions for not doing so could be catastrophic. "It is … rumored that she has been in contact with the Old One."

That made Lucretia blanch. The Old One? That wasn't in the Committee's reports. "Lord Kusanagi, keep an eye on her."

"Lucretia, we've been over th~"

"That girl is a threat."

That silenced Godou. A threat? Even if it had been only a few weeks, he could already tell that he had evolved far past the limits of a human - it was the main reason why he avoided doing athletic club activities nowadays. For someone human to actually be a threat... "Lucretia, explain."

"Honestly, she alone may not be much of one... but if what Mariya-san said is true, then you should be ready for anything. Divine Possession - I thought it was some minor Japanese god - perhaps an enshrined hero or a Buddhist deity. But the Old One?"

"Who is the Old One, Lucretia?"

The Witch of Sardinia and the youngest King's most loyal servant stared into the eyes of the Campione, with a small dose of fear in them. "A God of Steel, of Storm and Sea, and a slayer of dragons." That struck a bell with Godou. Where had he heard that name before? It didn't take long for Lucretia to reveal the true horror to her King. "Lord Kusanagi, the girl - Seishuuin Ena - … she is able to possess the power of Susanoo. And if that is so, her blade - that may be the real threat."

Both Mariya-san and Godou knew what she was talking about. After all, all Japanese knew of the story of Japan's mischievous God of the Storm, his victory over the dragon, and his subsequent discovery of the nation's most famous sword. The Campione even said one of the blade's names every time he repeated his own: Kusanagi, other wise known as Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi - the Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven.

* * *

The last few days for Kusanagi Godou had been incredibly stressful. There was a coronation to prepare for, the potential threat of an assassination by a wild Japanese beauty to avoid, and - what was possibly the worse in his opinion, though most would disagree - new rumors in school to deny. The length of his conversation with Lucretia and Mariya-san had not gone as unnoticed as he had hoped. He should have realized it, since the discussion had taken the entire lunch time. But hearing a dozen girls whispering about the potential forbidden relationship between a teacher and two students was horrifying, especially when he was called to the principal's office for clarification.

Of course, that was all a precursor for the mock trial he was to have before his sister. Shizuka had him sit in seiza for an hour, constantly berating him for becoming more like their grandfather by the day, something which he vehemently denied. He had yet to even kiss his "girlfriend," for goodness' sake! Unfortunately, using that as a defense just gave the younger sister even more ammunition to attack him - after all, a sixteen-year-old shouldn't think of such indecent behavior, an argument Godou wanted to agree with, despite being told off by a girl younger than him.

To make matters worse, Shizuka had called in a "star witness" to prove her point: Godou's childhood friend and a girl almost as bad as Shizuka, Tokunaga Asuka. To say that reunion was pleasant… would be an outright lie. The girl with the cute, if not childish, twintails started making preposterous claims about him playing with the hearts of fourteen girls during middle school. Fourteen! Godou could not stand by and allow such attacks against him. He tried to argue that he was unaware of such feelings among the girls at that time. But Asuka had blatantly responded that that was the whole problem to begin with, which confused him all the more. What was with him and verbally abusive women? Towards the end of that ordeal, the young King was praying that Seishuuin Ena would show up and do the deed. Death would be more welcome than the two overbearing girls that were trying to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Thankfully, at that moment, the two girls started attacking each other for some odd reason. Godou wasn't really sure what their problem was with each other - he'd been busy imagining the Japanese girl with the un-Japanese-like bust bursting in with some crazy sword, stabbing him in the heart like a hero in a legend killing a devil king. He awoke from this day-dream to find both of the girls huffing in anger with their faces dyed red. Weird. But it allowed him a chance to escape, which he quickly and quietly took.

And on top of that, he got a call from Erica randomly. He'd admit it was kind of nice to hear from her again… until she started speaking normally. How one girl could ever be as prideful as that teenaged knight, the young King would never be sure. And a recent decision had only made her more arrogant: evidently her rival for the title of Diavolo Rosso or whatever had been incapacitated during Verethragna and his allied goddess' attack, leaving her to stand alone as the representative of her mage association, the Copper Black Cross. Godou had naturally refuted such a victory, only for the blonde knight to mention the title was practically hers from the moment she stepped onto Sardinia a few weeks prior.

The entire conversation flipped on its axis when out of the blue Erica questioned him on his "girlfriend." Godou should have figured the girl was one of Lucretia's "contacts" from Italy - then why did she have trouble with Erica's name? And, more importantly, why did that witch have to inform that arrogant princess about his "relationship" with Mariya-san?! It wasn't like they were doing anything - he still knew very little about the girl, and she still had trouble calling him by name rather than by title. The girl was gorgeous, he couldn't deny that. But to even consider truly starting anything with her was beyond difficult when she still had an obvious fear of him.

And then the blonde knight mentioned something about not minding a second lover, as long as she was still the top choice - which utterly confused the Japanese godslayer. He chose to not mention the probable mistresses Lucretia had forewarned when Erica threatened that there would be no more. He had a feeling that, should the Italian knight learn about that, she would forsake all her duties there in Italy and quickly come over to stab him, and he had enough trouble with Shizuka.

Of course, he had forgotten to have this entire conversation in private, allowing his little sister to hear his half of the confusing banter. The minute he bade the girl on the line farewell, he was once again on his knees in seiza. The interrogation that followed was something else he wanted to forget.

Finally, as the week came to a close, the meeting with the Four Families and the rest of magical Kanto had arrived. The day he was to take his place among the other Campione and rule his little sector of the magical world. And, as Lucretia was kind enough to remind him, it was the final chance someone would have to assassinate him without any repercussions. That little tidbit did little to calm the King's nerves.

"Honestly, from what that Eleonora said after Sardinia, how could you walk calmly into the middle of a fistfight with gods calmly, yet shake with anxiety at the prospect of standing in front of a bunch of people? Or are you just that excited to see a bunch of pretty girls?" His mentor paused for a second before nodding at her possible deduction, not caring the slightest about messing Erica's name up once again. "True, I have heard that there is a fetish among Japanese men for miko… perhaps, young man, I should dress up as one as well?"

"No, no, that's not it. That is definitely not it!" Of course, the image of the sensual Lucretia Zola dressed up as a miko was actually stimulating for the young godslayer, but Godou refused to say this out loud.

"Then for whatever reason should you be so upset?"

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps it's because of the weather?"

"It's a beautiful spring day and the sun is shining." The meeting had been scheduled at a secluded little shrine hidden away in the corners of the charming city of Nikkou, and the mountain spring air combined with the clear blue sky brought to mind a calming paradise - exactly the opposite of The Lordship's sarcastic reply.

"Then I guess it's just the simple fact that, even though I'm a normal teenager, I'm about to become a literal king." The youth deadpanned. "Oh, and let's not forget about the possibility that some swordsgirl might deem it appropriate to stab me in the heart with a sword we theorized could have become a god."

"Calm down. This is your big day!" And then the witch gave a smirk so seductive, Godou was having trouble thinking straight. Or perhaps it was the bounteous bosom that Lucretia was now pressing onto his arm. "Perhaps I'll reward you later on? That would be quite enticing for a young man."

"Th~ That's not helping, Lucretia!" Godou flustered, trying to hide his embarrassment before anybody saw the tw~

"K~Kusanagi-sama! Z~Zola-sensei! Th~That is definitely inap~propirate behavior!"

"Mariya-san! This isn't what it looks like!"

"Oh, trying to defend yourself when caught in the act, young man?"

"Y~Yes, th~that is definitely the actions of the g~guilty, K~Kusanagi-sama!"

"Hahaha. Well, I must say, this devil king seems interesting." Godou whirled around at the new voice to find a redhaired… someone in priestly garb. Considering the clothes, as well as a voice that could probably make any girl fall, the youngest King wanted to say it was a boy, but something wasn't clicking. The face seemed too smooth to be masculine. He supposed it could have been a bishounen… but there was something nagging about the newest person. Godou glanced towards his advisor and noted with some relief that she, too, looked confused as to the appearance of this fellow.

Fortunately, one of their party did know who this androgynous person was. Mariya Yuri quickly bowed before the … priest, and then introduced … the person to the people who had been shamelessly flirting just seconds prior. "Your Lordship, Zola-sensei, may I humbly introduce you to Sayanomiya Kaoru-sama, the Tokyo Branch Chief of the History Compilation Committee and heir to the Sayanomiya Family."

Godou bowed slightly at the important figure in front of him and watched in horror as the … androgynous person lowered themselves to their knees. "Lord Kusanagi-sama, it is an honor to meet you," began the youth prostrating himself on the ground. It was an extreme show of respect ~ "I must say, you impress me greatly with your lady-killing endeavors. To ensnare the Witch of Sardinia… " ~ that was immediately ruined by the person's words. Still, it might have given the godslayer a hint towards the important person's gender - after all, what kind of girl would compliment on his womanizing skill - which he, naturally, didn't have, right?

Then again, what kind of priest would do the same?

"Excuse me, but I was under the impression that the heir of the Sayanomiya was a girl." Ah, trust the flaxen-haired Italian witch to confirm something so bluntly. Godou winced at how forward she was, but was still grateful that Lucretia had asked. He wasn't sure if he could focus on any type of discussion with the question of the person's gender still in the air.

To his mentor's bold question, the priest gracefully brought a hand to the face and gently laughed. "Hahaha. That is indeed correct, Zola-sama." The matter of gender finally cleared up, the girl acted like nothing was wrong. That only made the two out of the loop even more confused.

"Ah, allow me to explain the eccentricities of Kaoru-san," spoke up what was unmistakably a male voice. There, in the corner of the room, was a youngish looking man who, in the eyes of all the others, was thoroughly unimpressive. His long hair was messy, his face tired, and his suit looked disheveled. Plus, he had referred to his superior in a rather informal tone. The same thought crossed the minds of Lucretia, Godou, and Mariya-san: on first impression, this man was a good-for-nothing fellow, and nothing more. Still, they allowed the man to continue with his explanation. "Kaoru-san here is a mischievous individual who once took up cross-dressing as a joke. Unfortunately, the joke was so well received that she kept at it. To be honest, had Kaoru-san not appeared today in priestly garb, then many of the miko would have been most upset."

… That was unexpected. "Er, and who are you?"

"Ah, yes, I forgot." Yes, the youngish man was only confirming his first impression in the eyes of those who attended Jounan Academy. "The name is Amakusa Touma."

The three instantly eyed the young heiress of one of the Four Families, who simply waved off their concern. "Don't mind Amakusa-san. He may seem like an idiot, but he does good work."

In the minds of the three, a single thought was shared: How in the world was the Tokyo Branch run properly if these two were in charge?

* * *

"So, King, what do you think of our princess maidens like Mariya-san?" Amakusa-san asked frivolously as the two watched the incoming horde of girls clad in red hakama and white haori. The King's future mistress had already joined her fellow miko, all of which were rather pretty, though Godou refused to admit such. Saying that out loud may have led to some outrageous suggestion, and he seriously didn't want any of that trouble. Still, the question that had broken the silence between the two men was rather random.

"Er, well, Mariya-san, well…"

"Oh, the young man often fantasizes about the girl. It's honestly adorable," cut in a lazy voice that still had a hint of seduction. Godou's advisor walked up to the two, much to her Campione's dismay and, judging from the humored grin spotted on the roguish man's face, Amakusa-san's amusement.

"L~Lucretia! Don't say something that's obviously not true!"

"Ah, and Kusanagi Godou stuttered. A little cliche, but an encouraging sign."

"Oh, I wouldn't have thought someone like you would enjoy something like this, Amakusa-san."

"Maaa, let's just say, romantic comedy can be quite refreshing, even if every story has a similar plot line."

"Oh, the typical story line where both the boy and the girl like each other, but are too embarrassed to confess?"

"Yes. It's particularly entertaining when a tsundere is involved."

"Hmm… I see. Yes, that is almost essential. But this story currently lacks one."

"Does it? What a shame. Perhaps you could look into his personal history? More often than not, the tsundere happens to be a childhood friend."

"Indeed? This does entail an investigation."

Being completely ignored, Godou could do little more than groan. Of course, Amakusa-san would have an odd interest in romantic comedy. And of course, Lucretia and the good-for-nothing Committee member would find a common interest. And finally, of course that interest would involve the young godslayer. He could only imagine what amount of craziness the two could create if they truly teamed up with each other.

Then again, there was absolutely no way they could ever find a tsundere childhood friend, so there was perhaps some hope for his future. The only childhood friend he could even think of was Asuka, who certainly qualified for the tsun part. Dere? He was sure he was fairly safe. After all, she had shown "proof" that he was a womanizer by stealing the hearts of fourteen girls. That was more than enough evidence that she probably hated him. Why else would she keep such a meticulous count?

At that moment, the little quiet little shrine erupted in a chorus of shrieks and cheers as Sayanomiya-san in her priest robes glided out of the worship hall, followed closely by a familiar face.

"Seishuuin Ena!"

"Hmm, seeing as how she is currently dressed, I guess we won't have to worry about your impending death, young man. Maybe we should worry more for her chastity instead?"

Godou flushed at his mentor's implication, but couldn't deny how glamorous the girl looked. The swordsgirl was decked out in the standard shrine maiden uniform, but, as the Premier Hime-miko, she also wore an extensive array of headpieces as well as a chihaya, the traditional top for rituals. Of course, the upper garment still did little to hide her generous bust. To the normal onlooker, it seemed a little taunt, a look shared by her face. Unlike the happy-go-lucky type of girl that had shown up at Mariya-san's place unannounced, Seishuuin-san now had the airs of a cool beauty.

From the shrieks of miko-turned-fangirls, it was kind of obvious and sad why.

"Wait, is this supposed to be a ritual?"

"Oh, didn't you know, Kusanagi-san? In order to become our King, the Old One must allow it."

"T~ The Old One! Susanoo?"

"Yes. Supposedly the Seishuuin know of a ritual that will summon the god here."

It would be an understatement to say that this was extremely troubling news for the young godslayer. No, it was a full-on panic attack for the youth. He knew that he'd have to face a heretic god someday, but he hoped he'd at least be prepared, and that it wouldn't be someone on the level of Japan's most famous deity. And there were innocent people here! He had seen what his authority was capable of back on Sardinia, and that was while it was being held back. In a deathmatch between two beings beyond human, there was no guarantee that everyone here would make it out of this shrine alive. These were his potential subjects! He would not see them lose their lives to some god's lack of concern.

Seeing his panic, the good-for-nothing Amakusa-san decided to ease his worry. "Calm down. From what I've heard from Ena-san, the Old One is currently enjoying retirement."

"Seishuuin-san has met him?"

"Of course. How else is she to learn her Divine Possession?" It seemed the type of question that would be obvious to those who were raised within the magical side, so Godou wasn't sure how to answer, not that Amakusa-san minded. "Besides, the HCC wouldn't bring their precious hime-miko here if there was the potential of a battle between god and godslayer. And you yourself actually want a kingdom and not a land filled with dead bodies, right?"

The honest answer to that was "no" on both accounts, but Godou declined to reply.

"Hmmm? It seems you have been spotted, Godou-kun."

As she said, many eyes that had been enthusiastically smiling at the entrance of two powerful hime-miko turned to see the rumored Campione that had come to Japan. Some of the looks were expected: fear, coldness, anger. A few surprised Godou - curiosity being prominent, with a mixture of indifference sprinkled in amongst the crowd. Lucretia could swear a few of them, especially among the older part of the generation, had a small amount of interest. She smirked a bit - Godou was quite the tall young man and, should he be rid of his uncaring attitude, would more than likely have the looks necessary to become quite the playboy. That he was also a King and already had the skills to woo any woman was just the cherry on top. Perhaps some of these would be given to him in the near future? The chaos that would ensue filled the witch with glee.

Gradually the atmosphere that wouldn't be so out-of-place at an idol's concert abated. In the growing calm, Godou watched as the girl he had previously feared would attempt to assassinate him moved rhythmically in the kagura, purifying the shrine in their tune-up for the arrival of a god. Seishuuin Ena moved with a wild grace that seemed somewhat out of place with the music, yet still beautiful to the eye. His two adult attendants smirked as the boy slowly became entranced with the dancer.

All too soon, it was time for the ritual prayers that would entreat a deity to descend. The two lead hime-miko stood before their fellow shrine maidens, all of whom bowed down in reference, and slowly chanted, their magical powers strengthening the words the spoke. Godou and his company watched as an aged man walked forward, bearing a long, ornamented box. With a practiced precision, the wizened man bowed before the Premier Hime-miko, opening the case to allow the young maiden to draw out its contents: a sword, its guard the brightest gold and its blade the darkest black. As she held the divine blade aloft, the Campione felt a pressure build up within him. He couldn't well explain it, but it was almost a sense that battle was forthcoming.

"So, the Kusanagi sword has attained godhood, has it?" Lucretia had also sensed the power of the sword and confirmed her long-standing theory with the one who most likely had the most knowledge of the three, Amakusa-san. The youngish man smirked as if he should have expected the quick analysis by the witch.

"Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps we should just keep it quiet?"

His answer may have been vague, but the King and his councilor were not fooled - that sword was worshipped. Whether or not it was heretical was another question, though Lucretia suspected it so. After all, it wasn't in the hands of the Emperor now, was it?

But before the witch could speculate further, another magical presence, far more stronger than that of the two hime-miko and the sword, made itself known. Lucretia frowned - it had not seemed as if the Seishuuin heir had completed her ritual prayer before this newcomer made his entrance known. Yes, the girl was standing in front, confused, her fellow hime-miko clad in priestly garbs sharing the same look. And at that moment, Lucretia understood.

This power was not Susanoo.

"Godou-kun~"

"I know."

And just as he said that, some force coerced every head to raise, and as one, every single person in the little shrine looked up to the heavens. A small gasp, and then everyone began to point as a small speck glowed in the distance. That was when the murmurs started. Everyone knew that this wasn't a ceremony to literally summon Susanoo, yet that didn't stop something from coming. Some of the miko started to cry; others sat there, staring blankly at nothing. With heavy hearts they watched, waiting for that distant beacon that was drawing closer by the second to arrive, knowing that this was perhaps their last minutes of life.

"So this is how most people react with the coming of a heretic god?" Godou, whose only experience with divinity was in battle, muttered quietly. He saw the fear in the eyes of those who were just about to swear fealty and wished he could take it away, but the situation called for patience. It was unknown whether the invader was friend or foe - as a King, it was only right to allow this being the chance to explain himself. If he sought an alliance, the King would listen. If he sought for battle, then the King would meet him. But under no circumstance would Kusanagi Godou allow his subjects to be harmed. That, in his opinion, was what made a King.

Finally the speck crashed down to the earth, directly in front of the Premier Hime-miko. As the dust settled, the visitor was revealed - a young Japanese man, wearing a coarse kimono, his hair held up in a top-knot. He was roughly the height of Godou, and his stature, while slim, hinted at a toned figure. Though his eyes were shut, he wore a small smile on a face smooth enough to charm any woman… and perhaps a few men as well. Take away the hints that this man belonged in a different time, and people would easily mistake him for a male idol.

But that all changed the moment the god opened his eyes. One glance and even the least observant person could see the years of pain, anger, and hurt. There was no doubt about it, even to all of the girls who had squealed at his arrival: this god was dangerous.

The man blinked, and his smirk grew to a lecherous grin when he caught sight of the girl in front of him. Seishuuin Ena instantly froze on the spot, daring not to look away from those worn-down eyes, but praying that the divine being would choose to look else where. Alas, it was not meant to be.

"Oh, what's this? A sacrifice to welcome this one? Hahaha." The god's laughter, though it sounded charming, hinted at a madness that he kept bottled up. Every single miko in the clearing shivered at its sound, and a new wave of fear swept through the fifty young maidens. That feeling peaked even further when, in an instant, the laughter stopped, and the man stared coldly at the crowd. "So you plebeians haven't changed in all these years. Filth. Still, this one does find your gift quite beautiful." As his gaze swept down to further approve of the hime-miko, his eyes stopped on the sword the girl still grasped. No sooner had his eyes fallen on the divine blade did the god's smirk break into a grin of pure joy. Slowly, with great care, he took Japan's heirloom in his hands. "Why, not only do you plebeians give this one such a lovely flower, but this one's blade as well? Hahaha! Perhaps you have grown smarter after all!"

It was at this moment that the old man who had so reverently carried the sacred sword into the ceremony fell to his knees in worship.

"Hmmm? What's this?"

"Old One! Please hear m~"

"That's not Gramps!" Even one stared at shock at Seishuuin Ena's outburst. The quivering old man prostrating himself before the heretic god rose his head to look at the Hime-miko of the Sword in confusion.

"Ena, what are you sa~"

"I'm telling you, that's not Gramps!"

That started a whole new wave of murmuring. It wasn't the Old One? Who else would descend with such power to claim Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi?

Then, without warning, there was a flash. Every single eye focused in on the old man. They watched as his face went from a shock to horror, and heard as the man tried to gasp for breath. And they shrieked when the head fell, rolling away from the still prostrating body.

"Fool! To think that a plebeian would insult this one's honor and be so mistaken as to confuse this one with that old geezer. Such insolence is becoming of your death."

And then, as if in answer to the respect the god demanded, a new pulse of magical power burst through his overwhelming aura. It raged like a storm, yet calmed the hearts of the maidens, as if promising a bright future. The deity slowly turned to the side, cocking a single eyebrow. "Ho? To think, a godslayer would welcome this one's revival. Perhaps this one was deceived into coming to his doom?" Another crazed laugh followed the voiced out thoughts of the man as he stared calmly at Kusanagi Godou. But with a sudden finish, the god smirked wickedly, having heard the quiet beginning of a chant.

"O wind, O rain, O thunde~"

But that was all he heard. Once again, there was a flash, and then the King, the hime-miko's one hope, fell, his eyes locked on the divine sword's grip. The sword had moved so fast. Too fast. Godou stared at his victorious foe clipped Ama-no-Murakami back into its sheath, glaring back at the youth in boredom. It had been too easy.

And as Godou gasped his final breath, the skies opened, and the first drops of rain fell to the earth.

* * *

 **Oh dear, a cliffhanger. Whatever shall we do? And who is this mysterious god?**

 **As for anybody who questions why Yuri isn't up there during the ritual, the answer is simple - she's not good enough yet. In the light novels, she had eight months with Godou before they tried to make him King - in this one, it's a couple of weeks. She hasn't had the opportunity to level up her powers. In fact, there would have been no chance of her even becoming a Premier Hime-miko if it wasn't for a Campione bringing her along into battles with gods.**

 **Anyways, follow and review, and wait to next time for the climatic conclusion.**

 **Blank**


	5. Chapter 4

"Godou! Wake up!"

"Ugh…"

"You'll better wake up, or you'll make Mommy upset!"

"... Huh?" Mommy? Godou knew his mother, and she would probably disown him the moment her son ever called her that. Granted, she never was much of a mother in the first place…

"You heard Mommy! Now get up! I've let you rest long enough!"

By this time, the voice was getting kind of annoying. Besides, it seemed much too young to be considered a mother's voice. Maybe an older teenager's, but even that might have been stretching a bit far. If nothing more than to see who so brazenly claimed to be his mother, the godslayer opened his eyes…

… to see a cute little girl smiling down at him.

His eyelids immediately dropped and refused to open again.

"Wah~! Closing your eyes the moment you see me! How rude!"

"Go away! I know you're only a dream!"

"Ho? So you dream of moe little girls acting like your mother?"

"... You have a point there." Reluctantly, the Japanese champion opened his eyes once again, finding a pinkish purple-haired very un-Japanese girl - there was absolutely no way he could be this girl's son. If he had to guess her age, he would have said thirteen or fourteen. Seeing her smile adorably, in a flimsy white shoulder-less dress, he could see why she called herself "moe."

It disgusted him.

"Er… so…"

"Speak up!" Great, she even talked like a mother. Or what he imagined a mother should talk like. He rarely even spoke to his own.

"Well… no offense, but who are you?"

"I'm the goddess who comes from the Domain of Immortality to see her children, Pandora!"

The girl proclaiming herself like that answered enthusiastically, despite the rather rude question. What kind of mother would be happy when her children don't even know who she is? At least she wasn't offended. But Domain of Immortality? Children? Pando~

"Pandora, as in Epimetheus' wife and 'mother' of all Campione? The one who gives Campione authorities from Heretic Gods?"

"The very one! Good job, Godou! You've been studying!" Huh, was this a mother's love? It felt kind of … nice.

"Lucretia's been on me for awhile to understand godslayers. And I can see why you would connect with us: we're idiots who thought fighting a god was a good idea; you were an idiot for opening that box…"

And there went that nice motherly feeling. Pandora puffed out her cheeks in indignation. "That was a moment of weakness! And you shouldn't be talking to your mother like that!"

"Yeah, yeah, Okaa-san."

"Wah, waving me off in such a formal way! Why can't my children ever listen to me properly?"

Godou ignored the goddess and looked around, frowning as he saw… nothing. The place was an incredibly boring, blank space. "Is this what death is like? How… dull."

The loli goddess shook away her mood. "Ah, so you remembered dying?"

"Well, since it felt like I was sliced in hal~ why are you wagging your finger at me like I was being a naughty child?" Honestly, it looked absolutely adorable, but Godou had more important things to do than to admire Pandora's overbearing cuteness.

"Godou, that display was terrible. Being killed in one shot? You won't get stronger if you die so easily!"

"It's not like I wanted to be instantly killed! And what do you mean 'get stronger'? Shouldn't a mother not want her children to fight?"

"No, a mother should not want her children to die. You're going to fight anyways, so that part doesn't matter."

That seriously did not sound like any reliable mother the godslayer had ever heard of, but Godou couldn't deny the sense she made. He'd already learned from Lucretia that heretic gods and other Campione would come to challenge him - that was the entire reason why they were trying to take over the HIstory Compilation Committee, after all. "I know that! But I can't help it if my authority seems to rely on loyalty of a people!"

Hearing his frustration, the goddess simply offered a smile that the young godslayer found alarmingly attractive, and not in a cute loli kind of way. It spoke of years of experience that a little girl would never go through, of intelligence far greater than what the legends hinted at. It was a smile only a woman with all kinds of knowledge could make. "Godou, I know you have a troublesome power, but I gave it to you because I believe that you can become the ruler people need. Not an idiot who only wants battles, but one who is willing to roll the dice for that one chance to save an island. So be that King who stood before Verethragna and Melqart, find that determination it took to slay the Lord of Tyre, and make those people trust you!"

Wow… that was… inspirational. Great, a boy who killed a god was getting sound advice from a loli… Godou swore to himself that he was never, ever going to reveal anything that happened in this weird space between life and death, but still~ "Thanks, Pandora. I'll remember th~"

"Oh, you won't remember any of this, Godou."

"... Huh?"

"When you head back, this and that will happen. It's too much to explain, but you won't remember a thing, though a bit will be stored in your subconscious." Why does the goddess sound so frivolous saying this?

"But… I… "

"Oh, looks like time's up! Now remember, Godou. Don't be so pathetic in your next fight! And if you need to hear from Mommy… well, you could always just die again!"

"Don't say something like that so enthusiastically!" But just as he was yelling that, he could feel himself lose consciousness again. The last thing he saw was the loli goddess smile almost wistfully, and then… blackness.

* * *

Godou could feel himself escaping the coma that had trapped him inside his mind. He could feel the nerves turning on down his back. He could feel the soft mattress he slept on, the warm sheets covering him, and the fluffy pillow under his head.

But most of all, he felt he couldn't breathe.

Not only that, but something else was in his mouth, probing timidly. It freaked the young godslayer out, and he opened his eyes…

… only to widen them in shock at what was happening!

Wha~?! Wher~?! Ho~?! Why was Mariya Yuri kissing him!? And why with the tongue?!

The young hime-miko hadn't noticed the King's awakened state, her eyes shut tight and her face flushed a violent red due to the extremely embarrassing situation. Oh, the shame of the indecent act she was doing! This was definitely unbecoming of a princess maiden. But - and she hated the very thought - it was almost… pleasant.

The young girl, innocent and naive, had been convinced that Kusanagi Godou wouldn't wake up until some magic pulsed in him, and in order to save the innocent civilians that would be caught up in the destruction the heretic god would unleash, she volunteered to be the means for this to occur. But she had forgotten one important detail which concerns Campione - their skin was impervious to any magic. After a few attempts to heal the godslayer, it came to her that the only way any magic would reach his core was to insert the magic… through an opening. And the most obvious one happened to be behind a set of lips.

So she was forced to kiss him. For the civilians!

Now, after a few seconds of pressing her lips to the godslayers, she still realized that not much magic was making it through. So she had pressed a little tighter. And a little tighter more. After a few more seconds, she had subconsciously licked her lips to moisten them just a bit more, and in that millisecond, the tongue had somehow broken through to the inside of his lips. The instant her tongue touched, she felt more of her divine power break through and reach Kusanagi-sama. It had shocked her just how much, making her break away. But, after a few seconds of consideration, she forced the godslayer's mouth open and in went her tongue.

Yes, she knew that her spell of healing was working now. She just had to focus on the task, and not on how inappropriate this was.

Her blush brightened even more when she felt his tongue for the first time. Without Mariya-san realizing it, her tongue began to wrestle with the new foe. It wasn't much of a fight, but it was engaging nevertheless. She continued to explore the inside of her King's mouth, licking his teeth, when, suddenly, without warning, his tongue struck back.

This was definitely new and… and … and exhilarating! Mariya-san quickly pushed that embarrassing thought away and fought back, trying to gain the dominance in order to push more magic into he~ the King. The hime-miko forced herself to imagine the dangers a wild god would bring, the horrors all the innocent people would face, and not on the intoxicating dance between the two tongues.

It was then that she felt two hands on her shoulders. Shocked by the sudden grasp, she opened her eyes to find another pair staring back at her in just as much shock and fear as she felt.

"Eeep!" With a startled yelp, Mariya-san jumped back away, quickly wiping away any saliva that had somehow escaped the kis~ errrr, the spell! Godou just continued to stare at her, horrified, making the hime-miko feel self-conscious, wondering if he felt disgusted with her inappropriate behavior, before berating herself. It was for the innocents, after all! "Y~Your L~Lords~ship, I c~can ex~ex~ I can explain!"

But before she could get around to doing so, a low bewitching chuckle escaped the mouth of the room's third occupant. "Oh, wonderful. So the hero woke with a kiss?" The simple question caused both the King and his future mistress to blush.

"L~Lucretia! Why is it that I think you're behind this?"

Had the two youths not known the witch well, they would have been fooled by the look of pure innocence on her beautiful face.

"Y~Your L~Lords~ship, s~she said that you needed healing to fight off the heretic god! I promise, I didn't do it because of any admiration for you!"

Well, that kind of hurt, though he completely understood. And ugh, why did that witch have to do that? She knew that, once his authority ended, he was completely healed of any and all injury. But, since Mariya-san didn't know that, it was best to inform her of a few traits of his ability. "Thank you, Mariya-san, for your effort, but for future notice, you don't have to do that. My power is a little broken. Once the authority's finished, I am healed completely. Sorry about this being a little troublesome."

"... Eh?" Blood rushed to her face.

"Er, how should I say this?" The boy tried to find the lightest way to say the truth, but it was impossible. "You were tricked by that witch over there."

That got to her. The poor girl collapsed in a chair, her hands covering her face as she despaired over being played. Godou thought for a minute to comfort her… but the memory of being kissed like that was still fresh in the mind, and he felt it was best to just move on to the more important topic: the heretic god. "What happened?" He turned to the witch, since he was sure she would be serious now.

"Oh, you mean once you got nailed with a one-hit KO?" Apparently he was mistaken.

"... Yes."

"Well, Godou-kun, you were luckily able to say enough for your power to activate, but since you were dead, the entire city of Nikkou found itself in the middle of a non-seasonal typhoon that somehow bypassed any coastal cities. The meteorologists had a field day trying to explain that one.

Meanwhile, the heretic god wondered what was going on when it came to him that it was a divine authority, meaning you were not as dead as he thought. Despite the lack of honor our foe has, he seemed intrigued by your power. So, he left you alive and took the Seishuuin girl, no doubt to make her a hostage. Ironic for him to do that."

"... It sounds like you know who he is, Lucretia."

"It would be quite the humiliation if I didn't. After all, he was the main reason I originally came here for, all those years ago."

"Tell me about him."

The witch narrowed her eyes at her King's command, wondering what he was up to. It wasn't necessary for the boy to learn about the god, since his authority didn't rely on any knowledge or wisdom. "What for?"

"I need to know a little about him, in order to figure out how he would act in a situation like this. It would be best if I had firsthand experience to see any patterns he has, but that can't be helped. As long as I know what some of his potential authorities could be, I should be able to come up with something to take him down. Plus, I need to go save Seishuuin-san. She showed she was willing to put her trust in me with that ritual - now I need to go prove that trust was right."

The witch smiled. Here was the godslayer she had chosen to come out of retirement for - the young man who chose to be a king of the people, unlike his step-brothers and sisters. With a quick glance at Mariya-san, who was staring at the boy with a mixture of awe and confusion, though there were still trace amounts of fear and embarrassment. With a subtle nod telling the older woman that she would back her words, Lucretia turned to Godou with a proud smile. "Well, then, Your Majesty, let me start by sharing with you his name: Yamato Takeru."

* * *

Yamato Takeru was bored, to say the least. It was the second day since he fell from the Domain of Immortality, and he had so far been quite unimpressed with how the world was. He hadn't even tried, and yet he had defeated a so-called godslayer in little more than a second. Once the rain began to fall, all the magic-users fled like mice when the cat came to play, but this cat wasn't looking for a mere snack. No, Yamato Takeru was after a little more than a few maidens and heads of families. He wanted the one who ruled over them all, the descendant of the great Sun Goddess. He wanted the emperor.

Imagine the sorrow he felt when he learned the emperor was merely a figurehead of the Japanese magical world, with no true power. … Oh well, there were maidens to "save" and a whole country to destroy. Of course, that was if that powerful storm authority hadn't laid it to too much waste.

Speaking of maidens, he had to admit, with a lewd glance at the girl laying on the floor of the cave he had taken for shelter from that damned godslayer's storm, the women nowadays were quite unlike the ones back in his time. In the old days, every single woman he met was focused on becoming a "proper lady," fit to be the wife or mistress of a prince. It was all so boring.

But this girl… he could tell, she was something else. He knew she cared little for all that lady crap - he felt the lithe, toned body one could only possess through arduous training as he carried the unconscious girl away from that shrine. He also felt up some other parts, to be completely honest, which had left him quite impressed with the hime-miko, and even now, seeing her asleep, he wanted nothing more to take her. But no, he had yet to truly defeat his foe - that storm had been laced with spiritual power and magic, more than enough proof that the godslayer was still alive - and everyone knew that the hero didn't get the girl until after the enemy was dead. He would have cut off his head, but he knew it was useless - his slash had been more than enough to snuff the breath out of the damned godslayer, and if it hadn't worked, then nothing would have.

He had been tempted to wait out the storm and attack the boy the second he awoke, but he wasn't sure what other trump cards the boy had. No, it was best to retreat and watch what the boy would do. His actions would tell him all that the young godslayer was capable of.

That godslayer… that power, it had been too familiar. It reminded him too much of the power of Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi's first owner, the storm god Susanoo - the power he often felt locked inside his beloved sword's blade. Ugh, how he hated gods. All of them thought they were all that, but he knew the truth - that even gods could be defeated with one's bare hands. It was why he wasted little time in killing that one guy twenty-four hours ago. If only he'd gotten to that usurper before he'd offered such a short prayer… meh, it shouldn't matter. Yamato Takeru was through with any rulers of Japan, be they divine or human. He was going to destroy the boy who wished to be king, and no puny rainstorm was going to stop him.

Just then, the last drops of rain landed, and the sun finally started to break through the clouds. Was this the end of the storm, or just the calm of the eye? Smirking, he whispered spell words and jumped into the air. With a fluttering of a gigantic pair of pure white wings, a beautiful bird alofted, flying high, searching for its prey.

* * *

He was here.

Godou wasn't sure exactly where the heretical god was, but he felt the undeniable presence somewhere close by. The Campione's fight-or-flight responses were strongly urging him to make a stand and duke it out with this invader. He knew that it was he, and he alone, who could stand on a battlefield with this monster with any hope at success. There was just one problem.

His authority still hadn't reset.

It was a major weakness of the authority granted to him with his defeat of Melqart. Whereas the god could sustain his storm for however long he wanted and recall it within seconds of a prayer, Godou had only 15 minutes before his authority over the storm left him. Should he shut it off before the fifteen minutes were up, then it was only six hours before he could recall rain. But, as was seen with his first battle, should he be unable to shut it off before that limit, then the storm would run wild for twenty-four hours, followed by the six-hour cooldown. It was a terribly troublesome authority.

So, he hopped in a car, piloted by the useless Amakusa-san, and bid Lucretia and Mariya-san farewell. The two had offered to come, but Godou knew better - Lucretia had still not completely recovered from her encounter with the two gods on Sardinia, and Mariya-san had no true battle instincts. There would be a decent chance one or both of them would not survive should they come along. And Godou, who firmly believed in odds, refused to even consider allowing that chance to happen. These two had proven to be loyal and had already aided him with ironing out the legend behind his foe. That was enough.

But Yamato Takeru…

Everyone in Japan knew at least a small portion of one of its most famous legends, and Godou was no different. He knew about the angry young man who traveled throughout Japan, fighting both fearsome warriors and insane deities. He recalled that the warrior would often use deception and that he wielded Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, the same blade that he would later rename Kusanagi, identical to the godslayer's family name. As much as he was aware, that had been a complete coincidence, but now it seemed as if it was fate to have to meet the famous blade in battle.

But, to be honest, that was the extent of his knowledge of Yamato Takeru.

So, when Lucretia had started talking about King Arthur, Godou thought she had gone completely daft.

Everyone knew of King Arthur. His legend had made it clear across the seas to reach Japan, where he had found a surprising popularity in anime. And if there was one thing that was clear from all the anime and legends Godou had heard, it was that that man was the King of England. An island country like Japan, but clear across the world. How could the Grail hero possibly be connected with a hero of Japan?

And here, Mariya-san had cut in, explaining how a legend of a hero with a magical sword sprung up in the Middle East and had gradually spread, until various cultures took it and made it their own.

"Kusanagi-sama, I fear we are being followed."

Godou was shaken from his thoughts by the words of his driver. He looked out the window, seeing that the landscape had changed from a waterlogged city to a winding road, with trees towering above them. It took a few seconds for Godou to spot the chaser - a giant white bird glided and dived, easily keeping up with their vehicle. No matter how much Amakusa-san sped up, the bird would match. It was hard to believe something so gigantic could even fly, let alone at such speeds.

Checking within himself, the young godslayer confirmed - it wouldn't be long. "Amakusa-san, I know it's slightly unreasonable, but could you continue to evade, just for a few more minutes?"

The driver gave a curt nod and, with remarkable timing and control, swerved off the road just as a large tree crashed down. Godou sat back, impressed. Perhaps the man wasn't as useless as he had previously thought.

"It seems as if this heretic god is trying to cut off our path, my Lord."

The godslayer nodded. It was obvious why - the deity saw that he was at an advantage and was trying to strike the killing blow when he could. No doubt he knew that the storm was the reason Godou was still alive - it was quite the obvious trump card, after all. And since Godou hadn't summoned it yet, he figured the god knew he wasn't ready for it. Truly a troublesome god - but Godou smirked. Only Yamato Takeru could be a hero that would fight dirty.

Just as he was thinking that, he saw flames shoot out among the trees. That surprised the young King, and not in a good way. A fire was even more problematic than fallen trees, especially with that sword. Godou knew why this hero renamed Susanoo's famous sword Kusanagi. He knew what would happen once the Sword's authority was released.

A firestorm.

It was as if the god responded to his very thoughts. Gusts of wind granted precious oxygen to the forest fire, and it ate up all vegetation greedily, ignoring how damp the trees must have been after the storm from the previous day. Godou could feel the divine power being infused into the inferno. Yamato Takeru was not taking any chances.

"Kusanagi-sama?"

"Just a little bit more."

With a slight nod, the HCC agent stepped on the gas a little stronger, trying to inch as far away as possible from the hungry fire. The Campione felt more powerful blasts of wind, pushing the flames ever closer. He was praying, begging the authority to reveal itself. He needed it now! Now! NOW!

"Now, Amakusa-san!"

The messy man stomped on the brakes, yanked on the emergency, and turned the steering wheel hard to the right, hoping the road was wide enough for this sudden stop. And all the while, he heard the confident, steady chanting of the young man behind him: "O Wind, O Rain, O Thunder!" Over and over again, the words were repeated, growing louder by the second.

Amakusa-san breathed a sigh of relief when the car jolted to a stop. He watched as the boy still in high school, not fazed in the slightest, open his door and walk calmly out to meet the god in battle. The arrogance in the boys face was most noteworthy. He seemed unconcerned that he was meeting a hero of Yamato Takeru's renown. Was this what allowed the boy to become a Campione?

"O Storm! Listen to the calls of the Cloudmaker! Make haste, and COME!"

And the rains fell.

This wasn't like the storm from the day before. No, this was ten~ no, a hundred times worse. While yesterday's rain felt like a typhoon, this one~ Amakusa-san wasn't sure if this was rain drops, or if the devil king had simply willed water to gush forth like it was out of a faucet. And there was wind… and thunder… This, this was the true might of the the King's authority!

"Amakusa-san, leave." The Campione's voice easily made it to the driver's ears over the roar of the storm. Without a glance back, he slammed the door and waited for the car to move. Amakusa-san hadn't made it far when he felt something slam to the ground. With a quick glance in the rearview mirror, the man gaped at the two huge pillars that stood behind Kusanagi-san.

"Good luck, Your Majesty."

* * *

"Tch, so he was able to unleash his authority?" The heretic god clicked his teeth, mentally urging his divine beast to gracefully descend for a landing. It was easier said than done. When the first clouds had started to appear, he had urged the bird to ascend, hoping to climb above the clouds and perhaps break them from above, where the storm would not impede his Sword's wind. But it had proven unwise - he hadn't been aware how high the storm clouds were, and it was too much a climb to make before the winds had forced the great bird down. Whoever this boy had slain had been a complete monster to even have this much power. This fight was going to be even more troublesome than he imagined.

That was the final thought before instinct told him to jump. Without a second thought, Yamato Takeru leaped off his great bird, and not a moment too soon. He watched as some giant block of stone, sparking with tendrils of electricity, smashed into the divine beast, plummeting it down to the earth. He heard his kite squawk in pain once - twice - and then the dull thud of impact. There was no need to check for any life signs. The beautiful white bird was dead.

But there was another problem that the deity was facing - his fall. Escaping the Domain of Immortality had not posed such a problem, for it was a "dynamic entry," a sort of phenomenon where the magic of the heretic god's appearance was able to ignore laws of physics. But now, that magical protection was null and void, and he was subject to gravity. Of course, he wasn't sure exactly what gravity was. All he was aware of was, at that moment, he was falling to the Earth from a very great height at extremely dangerous speeds.

"Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, unsheathe!" A large gust of wind, far stronger than any he had let loose before, fired to the ground, pushing hard against the paved street below. Hoping that the force behind this gust was enough to combat the momentum of the current fall. He threw more and more divine power into it, and gradually he felt his descent slowing down, until finally, after nearly thirty seconds of falling, he was close enough that it would not hurt upon impact.

That did not mean that the entire ordeal went by without a cost, however. The god huffed out a tired breath. He had expended quite a bit of divine power to avoid any serious injury that would give the boy an easy victory. With every small gasp of air, he cursed his own stupidity, cursed the boy for the suddenness of the attack, and cursed whatever deity the kid had slain to gain such an overpowered authority.

The boy, however, was merely looking into the crater of whatever had smacked the white bird out of the sky. The wings were still visible, though the tips were starting to dissolve into nothingness.

"Was that a divine beast?"

"Hmm? Ah yes… after all, what else would be able to support this one?"

"That was my first time facing off against one… and it was surprisingly easy."

"Even the greatest of birds cannot brave the deadliest of storms. A power such as yours is truly troublesome." The legend then gave a small smirk, as if he was content. "But do not underestimate this one, boy. For though one such as you may have defeated my esteemed beast and my deadly fire, there is more to this one than meets the eye. This one has bested every foe he has faced, and one such as you are nothing more than a stepping stone to this one's ambitions."

"Every foe, huh? And what about a dragon?"

That put a frown on the Heretic God's androgynous face. "One such as you should take care of what to say."

"Is that why Seishuuin-san isn't here with you? You didn't want to risk another girl, like Ototachibana-hime?" Godou wasn't sure why he was saying this - after all, making a god mad was probably the worst idea ever. Especially with a god made almost infamous thanks to his rage. But if Godou had learned anything when squatting behind home plate as a catcher, it was that batters tended to make poor decisions should they get frustrated, often swinging on pitches well out of the strike zone. It might seem preposterous to have a god get mad enough to overextend his reach, but it was all that the Japanese high school student had.

So, he took what he knew and ran with it. Though the legend never stated it outright, the tragedy that befell the woman the hero had seemingly loved had a big impact on Yamato Takeru, and Godou was banking on the anger and self-loathing within the Heretic God to give an opening that the young godslayer could strike. Of course he would rather not mention anything about a girl sacrificing herself to save the guy - that was in bad taste, after all - but it was literally all the he could think about at the moment.

This had been another reason why the young King hadn't brought Mariya-san and Lucretia along. He wasn't sure if they qualified for a potential authority the god may have held. Though they couldn't prove it, there may have been some type of horrible power that gave Yamato Takeru a boost should a woman sacrifice herself for his cause. Ototachibana-hime, having sacrificed herself to quell a storm probably not unlike this one, had given Japan's angriest Prince a chance to overcome the god of the sea, which he used to run. Lucretia may have missed the qualifications, but with the Heretic God's past with miko, the sixteen-year-old and future mistress of the young godslayer was sure to check all the boxes that could possibly qualify for this unknown authority.

Seeing the god smolder underneath the his implications, Godou took another chance. "Yamato Takeru, the hero of Japan who lost everything - a woman who gave her life for him, a father who only sought him dead, and a brother… whom he personally ki~

"Silence!" Without warning, the man instantly sprung forward, his mouth moving soundlessly and his blade held dangerous before him, ready to rise and strike the godslayer. Godou, with a smug grin, instinctively shouted out "Ayamur," and instantly, the club shot forward, smiting the swordsman down. There was no chance at surviving that.

Yet the primal instinct of battle within Godou refused to relent, making the godslayer stay on alert. After all, it had been too eas~

Godou's instincts suddenly told him to move, and he dived to the side, barely dodging the black blade that had just tried to cleave him in two… from behind him. How? That shouldn't have been possibl~

Again, instinct kicked in, and Godou dived forward, hearing the chilling swing of metal through the air, even over the roar of the storm.

This … What was going on? Mariya-san and Lucretia had listed off some potential authorities the Heretic God may have had, including controlling fire and the bird, but this… this was insane! Was the god this fast in his legends?

Whatever the case was, Yamato Takeru was attacking Godou from behind and in his blindspots. That had to be taken care of. Thinking quickly while still trying to dodge the swift slashes and stabs of the Divine Blade, the boy came up with a simple plan - limit the amount of openings.

"Yagrush."

As soon as the name left his mouth, a giant club smashed into the ground behind him, unleashing several strong gusts of wind. Aware now that the giant club acted as a wall that protected his back, the boy focused in front of him, trying to see where the Heretic God would strike next.

He found him standing in front of the other club, the one that Godou had originally thought had crushed him, glaring at the young godslayer. "Boy, one such as you have no right to mock this one. The pain, the anguish, the horror of learning one's own father sends one to die - these trials are nothing a simple boy such as you could ever experience." With a click of his teeth, the god raised the most famous sword in Japan. "For such mockery, one such as you shall di~"

"Some hero you are."

That caused the god to blink. That was truly unprecedented. A mere mortal, making his blood boil with a rage he hadn't felt in millenia? "What, boy, is one such as you saying?"

"I'm saying you're pretty pathetic if you're supposed to be some sort of hero." The god was about to retort, but Godou was on a role. "I just learned about your type - the God of Steel. Guys who were heroes in their stories, swinging swords and rescuing damsels in distress. I learned how you took on dragons. And most of all, I learned that you helped the people. Sure, most Steel Gods did it solely to make themselves look good, but they still did it. I know who you're supposed to resemble - King Arthur. All because some lady gave you a magical sword. Both stories supposedly came from some Middle East legend that's been lost, but that's beside the point. No, the real point is: you and King Arthur are completely opposites. Arthur went around, trying to establish peace in the kingdom he ruled. While you… you were some pathetic prince the Emperor decided should let his anger loose and killed for no other reason. And that's supposed to be a hero? Please."

"And one such as you are a hero?" The heretic god could only scoff. Yet the boy's reply surprised him.

"Hardly. I'm just a guy who got caught up in a fight between two gods and tried to take down one of them with me. Becoming a Campione is more troublesome than anything else I've ever wanted. I'm a pacifist at heart."

The god squinted through the rain, trying to see whether the boy's mouth moved. Because the words he thought he heard didn't make sense. A pacifist? A godslayer, being a pacifist? But no, that was indeed what reached his ears… the sheer absurdity.

Godou blinked at the sudden loud bark of laughter from his enemy. It wasn't a chuckle, like those anime villains who felt like the main character was looking down him. Nor was it the cliche hysterical laugh of an insane berserker who justs wants a fight. No, it sounded like the heretic god was genuinely amused by Godou's declaration. What was so funny about it?

After a few seconds, the god cooled down enough to confirm his suspicions. "So, are you telling this one, that one such as thou seeks peace?" At the barely distinguishable nod, Yamato Takeru broke down in more laughs. "F~Forgive th~this one, but~ th~this one~ can't~t bel~lieve that. A g~godslayer, a ch~champion of p~peace? To think, this boy is like this one!?"

That confused the crap out of Godou. How was he anything like the legendary young man whose anger cast himself out of the Emperor's palace?

As the god continued to poke fun at the boy's behavior, Godou couldn't stop his brow to twitch in annoyance and anger. "Ayamur." The giant club, held aloft by the wind, slammed down at the spot where the Japanese folk hero had stood, sparks shooting in the air, but to no avail. Without any effort, the god jumped back, grinning with the knowledge that he had riled up the Campione.

"Now, now, one such as you should fight with respect."

"That coming from a guy who gave his opponent a fake sword?"

"Ah, true, this one is not the most honorable of gods, but I shall promise to play fair - it is not often one meets a foe that resembles oneself. One should truly cherish the opportunity!"

"What are you talking about?"

Yamato Takeru simply smirked, slowly raising his Divine Blade once more before him. "Defeat this one, and perhaps one such as yourself shall reap his rewards." And without another word, the god sprang forward, aiming to slice his mortal enemy in half."

Godou, however, had been prepared for this - with a reaction bordering on animalistic, he dived to the side, feeling the wind break behind him as the godly sword swung down. Without a second thought, he imagined Ayamur smashing into Yagrush, pulverizing the god between them.

Seconds later, like the mighty hammer Mjölnir of the Norse god Thor, Ayamur sparked it's way forward, smashing into its brother with the irresistible force of a thunderbolt, the god in between the stone columns.

Still, Godou felt it was not enough. He was starting to get an idea of this last authority the Japanese hero presented, and if it were what he imagined, then two walls smashing into each other meant nothing. He darted forward, eager to cover any and all of his blind spots with the clubs to his back.

He didn't, however, consider the blind spot above him.

Down descended the god, Kusanagi arcing down to meet a new victim. Without anytime to react, Godou felt his back rip open, pain shooting through his nerves, shutting down his mind for half a second. Rebooting, he found himself face down on the ground, screaming as the cut in his back continued to throb, the rain doing little to soothe the sting.

"It looks like this one has won."

Clenching his teeth shut to stifle his own screams, the godslayer looked up through the continued downpour, finding Yamato Takeru leering over him. "I thought you said you'd play fair?"

"And thus this one did! This one used his authority, even while one such as yourself used your own! Your own that still continues, this one might add." With a click of his tongue, the god leaned against one of Godou's clubs, sneering at his fallen foe on the ground. "To think, one such as yourself was deemed worthy to share the name of this one's sword. And then, once one such as yourself lies defeated, this one must wait to finish you."

The Campione couldn't do anything - his body had practically shut down, and all that he could do was await his death and rebirth… which was pointless, since the god seemed to know all of the aspects of Godou's authority. Yamato Takeru was going to wait until the storm abated, and then he would land the finishing blow. It was set in stone.

But Godou had already seen a couple finishing blows throughout his short time within the magical world, and the seething pain he felt along his back was evidence that he had survived through those decisive strokes. No, he had pressed on, just as the storm continued on in all its glory through any obstacle.

As long as he breathed, this battle was not yet over.

"Tell me, Yamato Takeru: what was that authority? You should have been crushed between Ayamur and Yagrush."

The fallen god laughed, and for a second, Godou could have sworn he saw two of the famous hero. But that… maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, making him see things due to the pain?

That opinion changed when, all at once, ten Yamato Takerus stood around him pointing Kusanagi at him. Comprehension dawned on the godslayer - this authority was truly amazing.

"Impressed, young godslayer?" All ten of the Steel Gods mused, an identical smirk plastered on all of their faces. "One such as you should not be surprised - after all, this one has transcended legend and become myth. And this - this is the greatest of all this one's authorities!"

"... Illusion?"

"Yes! Surely one such as you know this one's legend! Before Kusanagi was given to this one, he had to rely on cleverness to defeat his foes! Masquerading as a woman… forging a fake sword… Cunning, godslayer, is a tool that can bring down even the mightiest of gods."

"... The Steel God of Deception…"

A victorious grin stretched across the faces, which slowly morphed back into one. "Yes, of all of this one's titles, that is certainly the most applicable."

"... Then perhaps we're not that different, like you said before."

And before the Steel God could respond, the godslayer reached forward and grasped the Japanese hero's leg, relieved that it was solid. With all of his willpower, he urged his two great clubs to rise into the air and, with years of experience, imagined them pulled back, ready to swing.

Yamato Takeru could hardly believe his eyes, but that didn't stop him from acting quickly. Realizing his imminent danger, he swiped down on Godou's arm, severing it just below the elbow. The inhuman shriek that escaped Godou's lips rang out, deafening even the sound of the storm, but it was too late.

Ayamur was already in mid-swing.

The club, clad in lightning, struck the god with the force of a freight train, driving him across the pavement. Shocked by the strength of the swing and temporarily paralyzed by the electric pulse from the club, Yamato Takeru could do nothing as Tagarish chased him down, smashing him into the ground.

And Ayamur followed.

Over and over again, the two great clubs beat down on the god, wind and lightning alternating to a rhythmic beat, till, at long last, they fell down as one and stayed, just as the godslayer lost consciousness.

And the god, the famous hero of Japanese legend, lay broken beneath them.

* * *

 **Yo! Blank is back, and with the newest addition to Devil King! And there it was: the climatic battle between a humble Japanese kid and a hero the kid grew up listening about! I hope it was worth the long wait!**

 **Yes, the Heretic God is Yamato Takeru - nicely done by those who sniffed it out. The guy was crazy in the legends - I mean, who here would even think about dressing up as a woman to get close enough to kill a couple guys? I probably couldn't make a good enough looking woman anyways.**

 **As to what authority our hero received? Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out! Though, I'm sure most of you will already figure it out.**

 **Please review! I'm honestly not sure about how good the fight scene was, so take time to give me a few tips or praise me! (To be honest, I'd prefer the critiques...)**

 **Blank**


	6. Chapter 5

Where had his life gone wrong?

Kusanagi Godou, sixteen-year-old high school student and slayer of gods, seriously wasn't sure how to answer that.

He had stopped two gods from sinking an island, gained one of their powers, returned to Japan as a King, and promptly staved off a threat to his short reign.

And it all started thanks to his grandfather being too lazy to go to Italy, meet up with an ex-lover, and return a stone tablet that she gave him fifty years ago.

Sure, looking back, it was probably a good thing Kusanagi Ichigo didn't go to see his former Italian girlfriend. After all, how could Lucretia Zola explain having not aged a day in fifty years without revealing the entire magical world?

Perhaps that was why his life seemed so wrong now? Was it really his fault, when it was his grandfather who was a shameless flirt in his younger years, good enough to earn the affections of a witch? … Yes, that most certainly was the reason why his life had gone from normal to completely insane. He definitely wasn't guilty - his case was one of wrong place, wrong time!

Naturally, Godou completely ignored the fact that _he_ was the one who decided to fight two gods in the first place.

Still, how had his normal life as a high school student veered so far off track that every single time he met with someone, they seemingly offered their daughter as a future mistress?! That, by any definition of the word, was completely and utterly wrong!

It had all started after defeating Yamato Takeru in battle somewhere in the forests of Tochigi Prefecture. After a little bit of investigation, it turned out that the man that had met with the heretic god in the beginning and been promptly killed was in fact the acting Seishuuin head. He had evidently gotten it in his head that there was absolutely no way Japan should be ruled by a devil king, so he had masterminded a plan to kill the usurper with the help of Susanoo… a plan which, in all accounts, had failed.

Now that he was dead and the devil king was indeed still alive and kicking, the Seishuuin family had been desperate to appease their tyrant and still remain among the power players in the Japanese magical society. And seeing how easily the History Compilation Committee had earned Kusanagi-dono's favor by offering up a hime-miko as a mistress, what better way was there then to offer up their own heiress? Sure, she was a little rough around the edges, but no one could ever deny that the girl was beautiful, and her personality, while not fit for a head of an ancient and powerful family, was sure to make even the most stubborn of straight men come to like her.

Godou had, without letting his advisor know, quickly accepted the powerful Family's proposal, hoping to avoid anymore weird offers. So, without further ado, Seishuuin Ena had become, in her own words, "one of His Majesty's women."

Unfortunately, in his haste to finish up the negotiations, the young godslayer had failed to consider how others would react to his quick agreement. Lucretia Zola could only snicker quite unladylike when, within a fortnight, her King had received marriage proposals from two of the other Four Families, as well as a leading mage association in Korea and the Red Copper Cross from Italy, probably orchestrated by the new Diavollo Rosso and aided by the fact that the King of Swords was still missing. The Witch of Sardinia's amusement had only increased when Mariya-san - who had finally progressed to a first-name basis with her "boyfriend," though he was naturally lagging behind - reported that the Kuhoutsuka family had brought up the idea to adopt her little sister, obviously with ulterior motives. The look on Godou's face when he realized that his advisor's prediction had practically come true and he was getting his very own Murasaki had been priceless.

Somehow it had been all done in the name of politics. Supposedly, by taking the young daughters of every important family in Japan, he was unifying the country. He had heard about how magical Japan was still a good three centuries behind the modern era, but it was still amazing to experience it firsthand. That the rest of the magical world fell into line, as South Korea and Italy seemed intent on following, was quite troubling. It seemed like, somehow, the rest of the world had come to the determination that Kusanagi Godou liked women, and were more than content to offer attractive females in order to prove their loyalty.

He really should have thought of the consequences before so quickly accepting the Seishuuin offer.

But, finally, there was some hope. In an effort to continue buffering his borders, Godou found himself in the Philippines, in order to make them a vassal state of the "Kingdom of Kusanagi" - Lucretia was quite proud of the title, which was only aided by the fact that he technically had inherited the Kusanagi Sword from Yamato Takeru. And this time, he had had forethought to research the lead mage associations, intent on not falling into the same trap once again. To his joy, there wasn't a single girl within eight years of his age! Finally, an opportunity to gain allies without any chance at _another_ gir~

"This is my daughter, Diwata. I offer her to you for your protection."

…. WHAT?! No… no… no! This could not be happening! This was all just a dream - some messed up dream of how the girls he was getting set up with seemed to continue getting younger! Yes, that most surely was the case - there was the Renjou girl that looked like a middle-school student, then Mariya Yukari, who was a year shy of going to middle school, and now this… Yes, this was most definitely a dream caused by the amounting stress as a King!

Which meant that, since it was a dream, he should be able to wake up from it! A strong pinch on the arm should do the tr~

WHY WASN'T HE WAKING UP?!

No, it couldn't be! This… this nightmare… was real?!

"Err… Lumaban-san, could you repeat what you just said, please? I think I may have misheard you."

"I am well aware that Kusanagi-dono is surrounding himself with beautiful women, and though it truly is troubling my soul that my little fairy may only be eight, she has been trained in case this moment should occur. I can assure you, she may…" The leader of the Filipino mage association continued monologuing, but it fell on deaf Campione ears, for Godou was pondering what was going on.

The girl was literally eight years old! It should be a crime to even consider marrying her, let alone actually having a contract! And besides, he already had two… three… five… He had a full blown harem… The desire of so many young men in the world… was his…

The young Campione, sixteen-year-old high school student and slayer of gods, fell that day, agonizing over how wrong his life was.

* * *

On a gorgeous sandy beach, with the sun shining brightly and warm, Mariya Yuri was busy… trying to hide herself from her King.

She blamed her childhood friend for this.

Seishuuin Ena, the cheerful girl whose chest made most wonder if she was truly Japanese, had quickly learned that His Majesty was going to the Philippines to see about gaining the allegiance of the most powerful mage association in the island country. Naturally, as his two mistresses, both Ena and Yuri had to go. And, as the Hime-miko of the Sword had seen it, this was as good of a chance to ensure they were Godou-san's favorites as there could ever be.

So, to "seduce His Majesty," as Yuri's childhood friend so eloquently suggested, they went out and bought swimsuits. After all, they were going to an island country with a warmer climate, so they had to take advantage of the beaches!

Yuri had first looked at the one piece swimwear, trying to preserve as much modesty as possible, but Ena would have nothing to do with that. No, they were going there not to enjoy the ocean, but to gain His Majesty's affections! They had to go all out if they wanted to make sure they were on top of the pecking order in the Campione's future harem.

And so Yuri, being easily mislead, had left the store with an embarrassingly skimpy bikini, which she only now realized showed off her body way more than she had originally thought.

It was why she wouldn't leave the hotel room without a jacket despite Ena's encouragement.

Yet, even with the jacket, Godou-san had ogled her when she had greeted him on the beach. And though the brown-eyed hime-miko may have lived an extremely sheltered life, she instinctively knew that he was staring in admiration, a fact that had made her happy in the slightest way.

And that was why she was busy trying to hide herself at the moment.

She was a hime-miko! She was trained in the arts of being a modest young lady! And… and… And she was a girl, without any experience with the opposite gender, let alone anything dealing in attraction and romance.

Should she have reacted that way when her King had gazed at her? Godou-san, despite being a particularly lewd devil king, had always treated her with kindness. When she had first came to him offering herself, he had come up with a solution that had eased her mind while still keeping her standing within the History Compilation Committee. And then, when she had kis~ err, tried to use a healing spell on him, he had simply waved off her forwardness, calmly explaining that she had been tricked by Lucretia-san and placed all the blame on the advisor. For being a selfish Campione, he sure seemed to take her thoughts into consideration.

And, like Ena had said, she was wearing this swimsuit to please her King. Godou-san leering at her should be considered a victory! … Why did she feel like she needed to please him in the first place? That was a thought in and of itself. Why did she feel like she needed to be one of Godou-san's favored girls?

Before she could answer that, however, a certain Japanese childhood friend had made her way to the confused hime-miko.

"Yuri, Ena has been looking all over for you!"

Yuri seriously doubted that. The beach they were staying at was privately owned by a mage trying their best to impress the Campione, so other than Godou-san and his two mistresses, the only people there were her kohai in the Tea Ceremony Club, Shizuka, and a childhood friend of Godou-san's, both of whom were busy berating the godslayer at the top of their lungs for his lecherous ways. Godou-san, like usual, was denying it, despite having gone slack-jawed at the sight of the two hime-mikos and his friend, Asuka.

Other than them, there was literally no one else around that would have allowed Yuri to blend in with the crowd, and she had always been poor at hide-and-seek. Ena probably could have found her within seconds if she truly had tried searching.

Still, it was nice that her childhood friend was there. Ena had been busy for the past few years training to safely wield her innate ability and becoming a proper heiress to one of the most powerful magical families in Japan, so the two had rarely seen each other. Her cheerful outlook at life and optimism in Yuri's own talents made the shy, sheltered possessor of "Divine Sight" a little more happy and confident. She was, in most accounts, a great friend.

If only Ena-san wasn't as hyperactive as a rabbit doped up on pure caffeine, despite her status as a hime-miko.

"Hello, Ena-san," Yuri greeted with a small smile. "Have you enjoyed the beach?"

"Mou, Yuri! Why are you hiding from His Majesty! This is a chance, Yuri! A chance!"

The calmer of the two glared at her feet, embarrassed at Ena-san's forwardness. "I... I am a him~ hime-m~miko! I must act with poise and modesty befitting my position!"

"Yuri is also a mistress of His Majesty, so shouldn't she act in that role as well?"

... Yuri couldn't figure out how to refute that one.

"Not only that, but Yuri has earned the honored title of His Majesty's 'girlfriend.' Ena is jealous of Yuri's place at the top!"

"Ena-san, I've told you already, that is only a cover to appease the Committee," huffed the resident of Nanao Shrine. The wild girl seriously needed to get that through her thick skull... though Yuri would never say that out loud. ... Wait, something the top hime-miko said seemed... off. "Ena-san, what do you mean 'top'?"

The Divine Possession user grinned ominously. "Yuri is the first wife - she makes meals, acts proper, and makes sure His Majesty is properly taken care of. Ena _takes care of_ His Majesty."

"... Huh?"

"Ena will... please His Majesty, while Yuri is His Majesty's favorite."

It took a few minutes for the innocent Yuri to figure out what get childhood friend was implying, but when it clicked, anyone watching would have known. "E~Ena-san! T~that is imp~proper," she stuttered, her face a tomato red.

"It's true!"

"B~besides, me, as Godou-san's favorite?" If she was the devil king's favorite, and thus the first wife, that would make her a queen... which didn't seem right. Sure, she may have once or twice imagined a nice and relaxing marriage with the Campione - not that she had ever told anyone about that - but to sit on a throne next to him? No, such a revered place was not for a humble hime-miko, even if "princess" was in her title.

"That is what Yuri was concerned about?" The Hime-Miko of the Sword looked truly shocked. "Ena would have thought you were more worried about Ena's relationship with His Majesty, but if Yuri wants in on the action… Ena doesn't mind!

"Th~That's definitely not what I w~want!"

"Ah, Yuri stuttered! Perhaps you wouldn't mind being taken by His Majesty!"

"Mou!" The brown-eyed Hime-Miko was too upset for words. The territory Ena was squirming her way into seemed awfully vulgar for anyone who purified themselves every year. Yuri had never considered her childhood friend would ever show any interest in such topics, especially since she was almost always training and thus never around boys to begin with.

The fact that Ena was getting a little too close to the mark was completely and utterly ignored.

Just when Yuri had decided enough was enough and to berate her childhood friend who should be the model for a hime-miko in piety and decency, she noticed a far-off look in Ena's eyes - one that showed hints of sadness and confusion. "Ena-san, what troubles you?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing!" Yuri's look told the Divine Possessor that her only human friend didn't believe her in the slightest. With a sigh unbefitting her usual energetic personality, the Seishuuin heiress glumly explained her own misgivings for the situation, specifically how her family seemed determined to make her the Campione's lover without her consent, even if she figured it was bound to happen. "And then His Majesty, after saving Ena from a Heretic God, gave Ena's sword back!"

That had been rather shocking. Ena's sword wasn't just any katana; it was the Ame no Murekumo no Tsurugi, and it was given to whomever ruled Japan. There was no question on who such a person was at the current time, even if that person was currently being yelled at by a tiny girl with pink hairbands and a tsundere twintailed childhood friend (not that he had realized and she would ever admit). And yet His Majesty had casually returned the Kusanagi back to her, saying nothing more than: "It wouldn't make sense for someone like me who has no experience swinging a sword to use it."

Then there was the fact that more women were popping into Kusanagi Godou's life faster than anyone could hardly imagine - the Seishuuin, realizing this, had told their young heiress to make sure she was still highly favored, but Ena had even less experience with boys than Yuri! Even the Old One, whom the premier hime-miko affectionately referred to as "Grampsy," was making Ena do as he pleased - though him being a deity did give him more leeway than others. All told, so many people she had thought she could trust in were simply forcing her to be someone she never imagined she could be, and it was driving the Hime-Miko of the Sword to the breaking point an~

And that was when Yuri decided her childhood friend could use some support. Without a word, the Spirit Vision user wrapped her arms around Ena, hugging her with all the tender feelings of their friendship. She was there for her, as she knew Ena would be there for her as well. After all, they were both mistresses of a devil king - chances were they'd be around each other for a long time hereafter. The knowledge that they would never be alone was a comfort she hoped the young heiress of the Seishuuin could feel through her warm embrace.

* * *

"Bartender, another please."

Without looking up, the man tending the drinks poured another for the rather plain-looking young man. Nothing about this customer seemed unusual - a face that screamed normality, which could easily be forgotten.

Kusanagi Godou was grateful that, for once in his short time as a revered godslayer, he could actually avoid any notoriety whatsoever. He was also grateful that his grandfather had actually trained his grandchildren well when it came to matters of alcohol.

Huh. That may have been the first time he was ever thankful for his grandfather in anything. Usually Kusanagi Ichigo could be found at the root of all of Godou's problems. Or at least blamed, even if he had little to do with his grandson's escapades.

Now, it would seem odd that a bartender would so willingly and easily serve to an obvious minor. No one would ever mistake Godou for anyone older than a high school student, even if he was rather tall for his age. Of course, should the customer be an important guest, be able to drink with the best of them, or be willing to continue paying for the drinks that were lining up, the bartender ignoring the normal teenager's age would be potentially understandable.

Yet, despite all of the above being true, Godou was able to bypass any questions of his age for a different reason altogether. Because who the bartender was serving did not look like a young Japanese boy barely into high school, but a twenty-something-year-old Filipino, not unlike the rest of the men downing drinks within the establishment.

Once again, Godou found himself grateful for something he usually cursed.

Upon Yamato Takeru's defeat and Godou's subsequent resurrection thanks to his Battering Winter Storms authority, the young godslayer soon learned he was blessed with a new ability: illusion. He couldn't do it on the level of the former Japanese hero, who was able to attack the Campione with ten images of himself, all the while masking where he truly was, but Godou could make a single illusion at a time. It was truly an amazing gift.

Too bad the reasoning behind this being the authority gained from his fight in Tochigi was rather lame in comparison.

Lucretia Zola, his mentor in all things magic-related, had hypothesized that the authorities gained from battle with Heretic Gods often correlated to personality twerks of the individual godslayers. Battering Winter Storms, she speculated, took into account Godou's recklessness and determination to not quit, which the youngest Campione could understand. He hated to admit it, but his battles did seem to entail lots of destruction, because he only focused in on his foe and rarely what was around him. Only because of forethought and the fact that he wasn't prepared for battle did he even bother going into a place devoid of civilization to take on the Steel God. And he would never quit, even after death.

But Man of a Thousand Faces, according to the Witch of Sardinia, was simply because he hid who he truly was.

It hurt Godou even more when both Yuri-san and Erica, on separate occasions, agreed that Lucretia's reasoning was sound.

He hid who he truly was? That made little sense to Godou, since it didn't seem possible to do so without realizing it. Godou knew full well who he was: an overcompetitive idiot with a touch of adrenaline junkie-ness. He also had unbelievably amazing luck, could read people fairly well, and was a rather accomplished tactician. And, above all, he was a pacifist! Well, as much of a pacifist who was forced into battles to the death as one could get.

Naturally, he failed to recognize his tendencies to being quite pigheaded, not to mention his womanizing talents. He also made no note of his rather tyrannical approach, though that could be excused, since his own sister treated him as a slave.

So how was he hiding who he really was? And, perhaps more importantly, how was he like Yamato Takeru? He still couldn't get over those words that the Steel God spoke during their battle - how the Japanese hero looked almost happy when he noted how similar Godou and he were. What was it that he said? That Godou would "reap his rewards" or something?

The young Campione currently seen as a forgetful young man of Filipino descent shook clear his thoughts. It must have been the alcohol. Perhaps he should soon leave? With a glance to the exit, he grew dismayed that some fairly attractive women had entered the bar. For that was the very reason why he was hiding under an illusion. Kusanagi Godou, a man who would completely admit knew nothing about women, was finding himself surrounded by gorgeous girls more and more.

He had started realizing it when, upon learning about Seishuuin Ena, Lucretia Zola made mention of him attaining three mistresses, much to his confusion. She had then teasingly mentioned that she didn't obtain eternal youth just to stay young looking, leaving little doubt what she was implying with a small leer.

So, when she had mentioned that a mage association in the Philippines had wanted to meet him, he immediately decided to take up the offer, knowing that the lewd witch was still recovering from the Sardinia incident and using a bit too much magic during the attempted assassination on Godou by Heretic God. It was the perfect chance to escape any more jokes about him and his growing harem.

If only he had realized her true plan: forcing him to spend time with the only two confirmed mistresses, while also getting his sister accustomed to the magical side of things without her knowledge. He still didn't understand why Tokunaga Asuka was there, though he kind of wished she wasn't; having a little sister constantly yelling at him for actually looking at bikini-clad girls was enough. It didn't help matters that, while Asuka was yelling at him, he idly noted that she looked rather cute in her swimwear as well. Fortunately, he kept his mouth shut when he realized he was somewhat attracted to his childhood friend, knowing he would die should he dare to compliment her. Despite the years of companionship, Godou had received too many threatening text messages from her, some of them scarier than the threats of a Heretic God. Why would his mentor and assistant ever consider sending such a fearsome girl with no background in magic along with him as he moved to strengthen the borders of his growing magical kingdom?

Little did he know that Lucretia Zola, with the help of a certain lazy former ninja in the History Compilation Committee, had set it up in the hopes of causing chaos, otherwise known as romantic comedy.

And finally, to cap off the whole nightmare of a vacation this Golden Week should have been, he had spotted his two official mistresses together in a compromising position. Godou was fairly certain that Mariya Yuri-san was simply trying to comfort Seishuuin Ena-san, which concerned him a bit, but that concern immediately gave way when he noticed the shy Hime-Miko wrap her arms up just under the wilder Hime-Miko's large bust, lifting it a little higher. Yuri-san's own chest, while only half of the size of her counterpart's, still wasn't small by any means, and as Godou gazed on the two fair maidens, he noticed that the smaller breasts sat comfortably on top of Ena-san's rack. And then, as if some god of eroticism decided these two needed to get closer, Yuri-san nestled her beautiful head into the crook of Ena-san's neck, giving life to what many a pervert would deem the greatest picture in all of yuri-dom.

The skimpy bikinis the two wore didn't help in digressing from this image.

Godou quickly turned to look at the ocean once he realized he was staring. The scene was one of such intense beauty, he was sure he would never forget it. He was also sure that, had the Idiot Trio of Jounan Academy ever caught a glimpse of that, they may have died of blood loss from a nosebleed. Drinking slowly away another glass of liquor while reminiscing those moments, he found himself once again grateful that his grandfather, for all his womanizing ways, had helped him attain a certain amount of self-control around women. He definitely hated being referred to as a ladykiller, but adding an "irredeemable pervert" to his growing list of titles would definitely be the last straw.

"Fufu. To think, one other lord hero nears my island."

The bartender unfortunately fell victim to a spit take from the normal man sitting at the bar. Cursing loudly and threatening to throw the young man out, the tapster was thoroughly ignored as Godou Kusanagi tried to figure out where such a beautiful and noble voice originated.

There was also the tell-tale signs of power only a Heretical God could have laced within the words. That only made the young Campione all the more cautious as he listened to the voice.

"Fufu, so the godslaying monarch has already determined with whom he speaks. You are not unlike him."

… "Him"? The slightly alcohol-impaired youth wondered who this other man the beautiful voice spoke of was, A small sense of foreboding enveloped him… this was not going to be the peaceful vacation he had planned. No, not even the small hiccups with Mariya-san and Seishuuin-san, nor the constant yammering of Shizuka and Asuka could offer so much unnecessary chaos as this voice practically promised without words.

"Hmmm. Maybe I should twist off Kusanagi-sama's arm and leg in order to entice him to come and meet me?"

… Yes. Yes, this voice was definitely a Heretic God. Only someone as unreasonable as them could even utter something so terrifying in a loving manner. And since the voice wished to "entice" him, the Campione figured the divine being was part of the fairer sex. That being said, how did the voice know his name?

Godou looked around, already knowing he alone could hear the voice, but trying to determine where he could go in order to have a conversation. The voice, bewitching enough for any normal man to obey whatever it commanded, tempted the godslayer to find a quiet little cove, which Godou quickly determined would be found outside the establishment. With a nod of gratitude and a few extra peso, the young man ventured outside and soon found himself on a small beach, bereft of any human life.

"Okay, talk. Who are you?"

"Fufu. Quite presumptuous of you, Lord Hero. Tell me, why should I reveal my name to someone who so obviously wishes to slay me and gain my authorities?"

"Because it's common decency?" Despite saying this, the devil king knew full well the voice would absolutely not answer. It might've been cliche, but names had power. The minute you knew a god's name, you could start figuring out what potential authorities he or she could have, and thus be able to plan ahead. So, no, there was no real chance of learning the fallen deity's identity, and she knew that as well. But she had been mistaken about something. "And I'd rather not kill you, to be honest. I'm having trouble enough with the authorities I've already attained. Not to mention this weird political haggling."

"Ah, you speak of your growing number of mistresses?"

Okay, this goddess seriously knew way too much about his life. "Yes… but how'd you know about that?"

"Fufu. A woman has her ways." Godou snorted at the blasé response. "But I have an offer for you, Lord Hero: become mine."

"... Huh?"

"Leave the life of a godslaying monarch, and become my hero!"

… Another woman was laying claim on him?! Seriously?! There was the lewd teacher, the gentle soul, the fun girl, and a number of other girls he had yet to really meet, and now some goddess whose love was professed through the act of tearing off limbs? He was pretty sure that qualified under "yandere," which wasn't very high on his "Desired Attributes" list, if he ever made one.

"Errr… seems like a tempting offer, but… errr… I think I'm going to have to dec~"

"And to see if you are worthy of being my hero, I must test you… with this!"

"At least let me finish my sentence!" The poor lad may have screamed it out, but it fell upon deaf ears, for at that moment, a shriek pierced the beach's quiet. Instantly, Godou's battle instincts kicked in, for he could feel that whatever was coming was instilled with magical power. It was most likely a divine beas~

"Rrrreeeeeeee!"

… Weird. That sounded like a pig.

Just as that thought came up, so too did the sand around Godou. All around him, the beach was blasted into the air, much to the dismay of the devil king. It was going to take forever to get the gritty sand out of his hair. That dismay kicked up a notch as the dust settled, revealing the monstrous forms of not one, but three gigantic pigs.

"... You've got to be kidding me."

"Fufu. So, Kusanagi-sama, will you prove yourself worthy against such a foe. I should hope so - these creatures are among my most worthless."

Just how many did she have, then? Godou would have spent a few seconds actually thinking that, but when three separate hogs the size of houses start trying to squash you, you tend to ignore curiosity in favor of survival instincts. The Campione was somewhat grateful for those as he dodged the first of the little piggies' charge, though he figured he had little to worry about. While Divine Beasts were powerful enough to give some of the toughest witches and knights fights for their lives, for men and women who had defied common sense and faced down actual deities, they were child's play.

That might explain why the Japanese godslayer, while in what most would consider a life-and-death situation, was merely grumbling about disturbing women, troublesome gods and wishing for a normal highschool life.

Heaving a tired sigh, the boy summoned a storm, completely calm as winds already measuring on the typhoon level on the Japanese Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale billowed around him. Lightning flashed, signaling the arrival of the twin clubs of Melqart, Yagrush and Ayamur, even while their wielder felt they were overkill. He offhandedly wondered if there was an easier way for him to deal with divine beasts - perhaps he should consider looking into magic? He was told Campiones had beyond reasonable magic levels, so he could imagine shooting spells around like some wizard from a fantasy movie. Then again, just because he had potential in magic, didn't mean he actually had the time: there were gods to fight, monsters to exterminate, mage associations to rule (not that he had any clue how to do that, even with Lucretia whispering in his ear), all the while trying to hide his extracurricular activities and still make himself out as a normal teenage boy who may have had a few too many girlfriends.

No one ever said Campiones were reasonable human beings.

And throughout the entire thought process, two of the giant farm creatures had already met their end. Once again, Godou was amazed at how improbable his battle instincts were. Killing two monsters while daydreaming… he was really a troublesome being.

Staring at the last of his prey, the godslayer considered his options. He could easily beat the pig down with his clubs of lightning and wind, or he could use the divine beast as target practice. He felt there was more potential from Yagrush and Ayamur that he still hadn't tapped into, and he still wasn't sure the limits of A Man with a Thousand Faces. He knew it dealt with illusions, but how deep those mirages got. Glaring at what was the largest of the three pigs, he figured he might as well have a little fun and try things out. In case that foreboding he had with the goddess's voice came true, it might be best to develop his powers a bit, to combat any threat that was sure to happen.

Focusing on the power of the storm, he summoned more of the power of Yagrush, swinging it to push more powerful winds. He aimed these gusts at the earth at the pig's feet, kicking up more sand and dust to obscure any and all traces of Godou. The point of this entire experiment was not to inhibit the beast's sight, since the godslayer figured it already it wasn't anywhere close to 20/20. No, hopefully, the wind would cover any sound the sand would not mute, and the sand cutting should block out any smell.

"Then Yamato Takeru untied his hair, and made it into the form of a young girl."

The godslayer chanted his spell words, and soon a perfect copy of him stood there, waiting for his plan to take affect. With a nod, Godou raced down the beach, leaving Ayamur behind with his clone. Once he reached what he deemed was a safe distance, he stilled the winds and rain, while imbuing his lightning mace with enough magical power to give the divine beast a good shock.

The pig's reaction was instant. He quickly glared in the direction of where the shock came, sniffing madly, and then charged… right at the clone.

Godou could only smile as the swine ran right through Clone Godou and into the ocean, where ten foot way began to pull it farther out to see. The air was rent with the cries of the scared pig, the shrill sound puncturing the godslayer's ears. As if following his desperate yet silent pleas, the two maces flew off in the direction of the swine and then smashed into the ocean until the screeches of fear were finally drown. Godou merely watched, without any sign of perspiration. To think, a god's playthings would be this elementary.

"Fufu. As expected of my Lord Hero, those swine were unworthy of your presence." The Campione tensed, wondering what was next, but the voice continued on. "My test was too easy for you, Kusanagi-sama. Still, you have at the very least proven yourself capable of fighting for me."

"Why would I want to fight for you?"

"Why wouldn't you, Kusanagi-sama? I am even willing to prove my love by taking your arm and leg!"

"I would much prefer my arm and leg attached, thank you very much!"

"Then, if that's the case, shall I entice you to fight for me by other means?"

That definitely sound ominous. If Godou had it his way, he'd be away from this country within the hour, but he was sure that wasn't a possibility. "How?"

"I prefer to share my love with no one, Kusanagi-sama, which means those other girls must be abandoned. However, there is one handmaiden that you show no attraction to. Perhaps she would be enough to lead you to your next test?"

A girl he wasn't attracted to? That could definitely not be either Mariya-san nor Seishuuin-san, as much as he would love to deny it. After all, part of the reason he was alone tonight was to avoid those two altogether. Asuka had also piqued his interest for a second. That had been especially worrisome, but this goddess had said no attraction at all, so she was probably out? Then who else? The eight-year-old? He was definitely NOT a lolicon, despite already realizing the girl would be quite charming once she matured. He had seen the mother, after all, and he could safely say Lumaban-san was a lucky man.

But those were the only girls he kne~

… Oh no.

"Until next time, Lord Hero."

Just as she said that, Godou's phone went off.

"... Hello?"

"Godou-san! Finally! I believed I was using this cell phone inappropriately! Ah! Nevermind that! Godou-san, the city is under attack from divine beasts!"

"I know. I've killed three."

"Eh? Really? Ah, What I mean is, there was a divine beast at the hotel!"

"WHAT?!" No, that voice… she couldn't have… "Shizuka! Is she there?!"

"... Godou-san…"

The Campione hung up the phone, swearing under his breath. That damn voice! To think, it would be so forceful to kidnap his sister, all to make sure he was worthy to be her damn hero. Oh, that yandere goddess was going to pay. He'd do her stupid tests, if she wanted. But he wasn't going to be her hero.

* * *

Hello again, and welcome to the next adventure in the Devil King. I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm actually shocked by how much people write. Like, there are some who are able to pump out five thousand words a day... I can't ever really imagine doing that consistently. All the power to them.

Anyway, here's Godou's authorities. Some of you might not like his newest one - but recall, lots of authorities aren't appropriate for battle. I know Luo Hao has one that lets the city she's in be extremely prosperous until she leaves, and then Madam Aisha's usually aren't battle appropriate. I feel A Man of a Thousand Face works well with Battering Winter Storms, and so that's that.

[Battering Storms] - An ability that summons a storm on the level of hurricanes and monsoons. When activated, clouds converge overhead, unleashing a torrent of rain. Amongst the downpour, a matching pair of massive clubs descend. Imbued with divine power, these clubs can have enough destructive energy to flatten buildings with a single swing. The Campione can only sustain control for fifteen minutes - once the storm calms, Godou "awakens," returning to full health. This includes returning from the dead should he have been killed while the authority is in effect - however, in consequence of his "death," the storm will rampage for twenty-four hours, causing mass destruction and flooding, before he "awakens." Upon revival, this authority may not be used for another six hours.

[Man of a Thousand Faces] - An ability that creates a perfect illusion. This authority is not limited to just sight, but all five senses can be affected, meaning there is no easy way to break through the mirage. It can only make one, however, and for that illusion to be able to move around, it takes much concentration and experience. Seeing as this ability has no offensive potential, it has an indefinite amount of uses and has no conceivable counter-effects.


End file.
